Sasuke Shinden Raikō-hen
by abc27
Summary: Naruto never gave up on him. With only Naruto left as the sole link connecting him to Konoha, he journeys the world. Erza, meanwhile was in a bind. The mission to retrieve a scroll had failed, and landed her in Cloud village. With the help of the red head, he picks up things he threw away during his quest for revenge.[Do not own Naruto & FT]. Post-war!Sasuke, Post-timeskip!Erza.
1. Chapter 1: Chance

**The events happen when both Sasuke and Erza are 19 years of age. Naruto makes an appearance in the later chapters. (writing and pacing is bad at the start, but I am trying to improve on that.)  
**

 **Inspired by** **Seeking Answers** **and** **Unlikely Encounter** **.**

 **So, let's get started.**

 **PS: You can skip to chapter 10 if you want to hurry to the GMG arc. Until chapter 10, it's all going to occur in elemental nations, konoha.**

* * *

 **...**

 **Chapter 1:** **Chance**

It was evening in Magnolia which was busy bustling with life. Due to the guests who were shopping, salary men who just got off from work and students returning from home going past Magnolia station, the entire place became very lively.

While nimbly avoiding the flow of the crowd and carefully choosing ingredients for dinner later, Levy Mcgarden spotted someone in the crowd. Even someone as petite as Levy was able to spot that vibrant red hair from a distance.

Although she did not have a chubby relationship with her that was like between her and Lucy, but since Erza was practically their guild's queen of fairies and not to mention, she saved her life on countless occasions, she thought to greet her and say hi. Not to mention, the other party is very sensitive to the smell of a good bargain. Anything which involved her favorite strawberry cake.

"It's just a normal polite greeting."

While staring at the back of the head of the fellow resident from Fairy Hills and her neighbor, Erza Scarlet, and slowly approaching her, Levy noticed something.

"Uh, uh. Not good." She quivered on observing what was wrong.

Erza was standing in front of the closed store which already had its shutters down and was in a daze. Her eyes seemed lifeless, her form frozen like Gray just used his Ice magic and turned her into a beautiful sculpture.

To be exact, she looked like she was going somewhere when suddenly somebody stopped the time for her as soon as she reviewed the shop and its state. Her left hand dragging the cart and her head turned. All frozen as the crowd continued to move past her, minding their own business.

Levy carefully approached the cheese cake lover.

"Um… Is something wrong, Erza-san?"

Usually, Erza would have immediately addressed her, since she wanted to set herself as an example for the ideal knight.

"… Ah, Levy."

Finally, Erza seemed to turn her neck. But, something seemed strange.

Her eyes looked very lax and she was gaping at her. The Erza she knew would never commit such a mistake as she would deem the act as disregarding your friends by not showing your compassion.

"What, what happened? Are you feeling unwell?" Levy asked out of concern. Given the excessive luggage she had on her, one would normally think she was moving out.

But, Levy knew. She was probably going out on a mission. That must be the reason why the guild was so quiet when she visited earlier.

"This…" Her voice was trembling as she opened her mouth. A hesitant finger was shot towards the shop's door and the notice stuck on it. "…Tell me, this isn't true…"

Levy followed the line of vision and also looked, over there was a huge brown wooden door and the words which read 'Magnolia Cake shop' and there was a notice along with a closed sign on it.

"….Um Erza-san, don't tell me the reason you were dazing around here was because…."

Levy suddenly felt very idiotic at that moment for worrying about the red head.

Levy looked at the notice once more.

It was a sturdy cardboard box with the words "The bakery will be closed for a month due to personal reasons. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Levy sighed heavily. Erza was strong, cool and a little scary sometimes but relied on by everyone, even so she can be really girly and then, sometimes there were these odd quirks of her.

Nobody was perfect. Shaking her head, she bid her farewell and walked away. But, she didn't know at the time that was the last time she would be seeing Erza for a long time.

* * *

"Are you sure this mission will be a success?" Lucy asked turning to the dark haired teen beside her, rereading the job request in her hand. "Cause, I don't think retrieving an artifact can be considered an S-class level."

Lucy Heartfilia was a stellar mage, with the ability to wield gate keys to summon spirits to fight for her. Her looks as far as it went, sat right at the top along with two others.

"It's a little too late to ask that now, Lucy." Gray cocked his head and met her gaze. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets. "You were the one who told me that it was my turn to pick a mission. And, so I did."

Gray was an ice wizard. He had a bad habit of… well he strips but does it unconsciously every time.

"Anything Gray picks is bound to be lame. S-class or not." Natsu retorted from beside.

"If anyone is lame, it is you, flame brain!" Gray head-butted Natsu.

"What did you say, Ice queen?!" He rebutted.

Natsu was a Fire Dragon Slayer. He was also known for the destruction he causes in each mission. Also widely known as 'Salamander', and Gray is atop the list of things he hates. Well, they do say fire and ice don't mix.

"Geez, what's with you two?" Lucy scolded from beside. "Can't you stay silent for a full minute without fighting or arguing?"

"Hear that, Pinky. Stop fighting for once." Gray said, now breaking the staring contest he was having with his rival.

Natsu copied the gesture and crossed his arms. A hint of annoyance crossed his features, "Why does Gray get to pick the mission?" He argued.

Happy flew around him, "You picked the last one. Don't you remember Natsu?"

"Yeah, well sort of," Natsu said as he folded his hands and began to think.

"What do you mean sort of? We didn't receive any payment due to the destruction you caused!" Lucy yelled at the pinkette. "And, I still have to pay my rent." She continued having anime tears.

"Oh! Now I remember. I destroyed the place rather beautifully." Natsu said cheerfully, not feeling any remorse what-so-ever.

"Did you forget the position our guild is in, Natsu?" Erza said making her way towards the group that was waiting for her near the Magnolia station. She looked pissed. And, there were many things that could piss her. Who knows what pissed her off this time?

Natsu just cowered behind Lucy. "I know. I'll ty to be careful next time, Erza."

"You better be. Our absence for the past seven years has been rather unfortunate and the guild has suffered a lot during that time. It isn't in the position like it used to be before where master could just brush aside your havoc. Even if master does, I won't let it slide," she warned him as he got down onto his knees.

"Aye Ma'am!"

"Pathetic." Gray said from a distance.

"Say that to my face, ice princess," Natsu said getting up.

"What do think I just did, moron!" Gray coolly retorted.

Lucy just shook her head at the Maker mage. She looked up and reminded him, "Gray, your clothes."

Gray looked down and was surprised, "Crap! When did this happen?"

"Look who is pathetic now, pervert!" Natsu said.

Gray head-butted him, "What did you say, pyro?!"

Erza grew irritated. Her patience was wearing thin so she just banged their heads together, "Will you idiots shut up, already?!" She scolded. Then, Lucy cautiously moved forward and handed her the mission's flier.

"…B-But, it was his fault…!"

"Shut up!"

The two continued to bicker even after beaten senseless by Erza.

"I-If it's anyone's f-fault… it is Erz-"

"Did you say something?" Erza asked looking up from the flier.

They both shook their heads in defense, "N-nothing Ma'am. Nothing at all!"

"Okay, now let's get on the train." Seeing as the train had already blown the whistle couple of times till now. It must be ready to depart the station.

"Nooo! Isn't there any way we can go there by walk?" Natsu suggested, dreading over the fact that he has to ride the train. And, the motion sickness which came with it. Ah, just thinking about it was making him want to puke.

"It will take too long to complete the mission if we go by foot." Lucy said, trying to encourage Natsu. "Just gut it up, Natsu."

Natsu seemed to whine about it as Gray moved towards the red head.

"Geez Erza! We are just retrieving an artifact. There's no need for this much amount of luggage." Gray pointed, observing the huge cart which Erza had bought.

"It is necessary for the mission to be a success." Erza said, staring right back at Gray. "We don't know when we might need an item, so I like to be prepared at all times." She explained, her gaze clearly daring him ask another question.

And, it seemed he wasn't an idiot after all. "There's no point in arguing with you. Let's just get on the train." Gray said, boarding it first.

The rest got on behind him with the exception of Natsu who was knocked out and dragged by Erza.

Gray sat by the window with Lucy beside him. Erza sat on the opposite of him and Natsu was unconscious beside her. Happy sat between Natsu and Erza.

Lucy was examining the mission details, "It's strange. The mission states us not to open the artifact at all costs. What does that mean?" She asked.

"The artifact must be some sort of vessel, or a book by the warning." Erza stated, bringing her hand to cup her chin as she thought about the strangeness of the request. "Since this mission was requested under S-class category, there must be traps all over this ruins that we are visiting. We have to be careful."

"Yeah, no kidding." Gray agreed closing his eyes. "Though the pay is low, it still qualifies as an S-class mission. Those ruins which we are visiting now are considered to be very ancient, long before even the dragons became extinct."

Lucy gasped and turned towards Gray at that, "How do you know that?"

"I did some research before we headed out." Gray rubbed his nose with his index finger.

"Wow, Gray!" Lucy exclaimed, seeing the Ice wizard in a new light before looking in the direction of the dragon slayer with a look of concern. "Though, I am still worried about Natsu. He has a tendency to wreck stuff and if the place we are heading out is ancient, it might collapse upon itself and on us if he goes on a rampage."

"Aye! I am worried about that too," Happy added with some worry.

"I'll try to keep him under control, so don't worry Lucy." Erza smiled reassuring her. Then she turned her head towards Gray, "The place we are visiting might have traps in them. Especially, you Gray. Do not get into unnecessary fights with Natsu."

Gray considered her face and tone for a moment. "I won't."

They discussed further about the mission for some more time until somebody suddenly brought the topic of cheese cake. And, the whole discussion was shifted just like that and from there it went to a point of no return with none of them remembering what they were doing in the train in the first place until their designated stop arrived.

They got down and proceeded straight for the ruins which were outside the city. Natsu recovered from his motion sickness and the details were explained to him.

"Why do you think that I wreck stuff all the time?" Natsu protested as they walked a path in the forest.

Lucy sighed, "Because that's what you always do on a mission."

"Then even Gray does that," Natsu pointed his finger towards the teen who was walking in front of him.

Gray glanced back as they continued to walk, "I don't cause destruction as much as you Natsu. You even beat Erza in destroying stuff."

"What does that mean?" Erza's stern voice was heard, causing Gray to stiffen.

"Nothing, Ma'am!" Gray sweated.

The rest of the journey to the ruins was in silence for which Lucy was thankful for once. Shortly after, they reached the entrance of the ruins.

"Finally." Natsu groaned as he walked up to the entrance of the ruins what seemed like a cave. He tilted his head, "What's with these walls? They look like they'll break even if I just touch it."

"Are you going to keep complaining this whole mission, Natsu?" Gray asked, standing beside Natsu while the rest of the team stood behind them.

"I can't help it. This mission is so boring! Nice work Gray on picking up this mission." Natsu criticized the said Ice-maker mage.

"This was the only mission with enough pay left on the board." Gray said in his defense. "So, stop complaining Natsu!"

Natsu put his hands back on his head, "Whatever."

"Enough talking." Erza walked past them until she was right in front of the door, "Let's go and retrieve the artifact now." She opened the huge door at the entrance and walked in.

Happy turned to Natsu and Gray who were busy exchanging verbal spats, "She is going to be pissed if she doesn't find you both behind her."

"Yeah, let's get moving." Gray said, agreeing that Happy had a point and walked in followed up by a scowling Natsu. Lucy followed behind them as Happy rested on top of Natsu's head. They walked in relative silence, letting the surrounding sights take them in until they reached Erza.

She was seen staring at few markings on the wall. Turning her head back, she signaled Natsu to come forward. "Natsu, provide me some light."

Natsu lit his right fist on fire and brought it near the wall. The others leaned in to have a close look at the strange markings. They saw few writings in some weird ancient language unknown to them. There were also some drawings showing nine different creatures in a circle and a single man standing in between them.

Other than the few drawings, and some strange seals like thing, they didn't understand much.

"We have no choice but to look for the artifact blindly." Erza concluded with a sigh and a massage of her forehead. So much for finding some clues.

"Yeah! No kidding." Gray agreed.

Erza observed the wall and saw another passage leading them further deep into the ruins. "Okay, let us keep moving forward."

Natsu did not seem to hear them as he did not budge from his position. He kept gazing at the wall even after others had departed.

"What's wrong Natsu?" asked Happy, who stayed behind worried for his friend.

Natsu just shook his head, "Its nothing. I just felt something wrong… and also like something familiar when I saw this thing." Igneel had initially started teaching him in this language but since he didn't understand it, he started teaching in a different language. "Must be my imagination."

Happy stared silently at his best bud for some time, before giving up the thought. Nothing good has happened to Natsu whenever Igneel was involved as far as he knew.

"Let's get moving before we lose others, Natsu." Happy said, landing on his shoulder.

Natsu nodded and ran in the dark path trusting his great sense of smell. Very soon he reached them to see them waiting for him. He saw the rest gaping at the huge wall in front of them as Lucy nearly tripped.

"My neck hurts just by looking at this door." She raised her neck up, her gaze studying the top of the door. "I wonder how we will be able to – KYAA!"

"What the heck Natsu?!" Gray shouted, his voice turning into an echo that rumbled in the cave.

The said teen brought his burning fist down and turned towards the rest with a grin on his face, "I figured I might just break the door since it's too big for us open." He rubbed the back of his head, causing Gray and Lucy to barely control their anger at their simple minded friend.

What kind of answer did they even expect?

But, these ruins seemed to have been built pretty solid if Natsu's punch of the door did not cause it to collapse. They walked forward into a huge hall past the rubble, which was surprising considering they never saw or heard anything like it. The design and the structure, all seemed to be not from around here.

Erza stayed sharp and calmly observed her surroundings as this place had an eerie feeling to it.

There were huge walls supporting the roof on either side and on the farther end stood a small slab having a tied up scroll on it. The rays of light from the outside peeked through the cracks present on the sides of the walls and seemed to illuminate the entire place.

But, few rays of light were only focused on the scroll, causing the slab under it to shine like a jewel. As they approached near the scroll, they saw some designs on the wall behind it. It consisted of a huge fan symbol which was broken into two halves. But, that wasn't the weird part.

Behind the symbol stood two dragon symbols on either side of it, as if they were guarding it.

Erza paid less attention to it while the rest were busy flaunting over the engravings on the wall. She couldn't afford to be distracted like them, as she was the only S-class mage of the group. So, she simply moved around the slab, inspecting it and checking for any traps in place.

 _This must be the artifact_ , she thought observing a black scroll tied up with a red lace. There were also some faint markings that seemed to be invisible to the naked eye at first glance, many that would overlook it. These markings went from the scroll to the slab and then underneath it.

 _As I suspected_ , Erza scoffed tracing a delicate finger along the markings.

Meanwhile, Lucy was observing her comrade with a concerned expression. "Natsu." She said softly.

The dragon slayer was still sour whenever the topic of Igneel was brought up just like Gray was whenever Zeref's monsters were brought up. Or, Erza was whenever Jellal was brought up.

Even, Gray seemed to be worried for his rival. All of his guild knew how much Igneel meant to the fire dragon slayer and he was the one who knew the most since he always kept an eye on Natsu. Just like that incident with the vanishing town.

Natsu was standing there with a melancholy expression on his face, before he suddenly clenched his fists. He then turned behind towards the inspecting red head and the slab. "I don't care what the client wants to do with that scroll, but I am not giving it away."

He proceeded moving menacingly towards the unsuspecting Erza before Gray got in his way. Gray grabbed his shoulders and shook him desperately trying to rid him of that thought, "Don't be a fool, Natsu. What good will come by keeping the scroll with us?"

"It must have some clues regarding Igneel," Natsu met the pleading look of Gray, slipping out of his grasp. He walked past the silent Ice wizard, "You know how much Igneel means to me, right?"

Yeah, he knew it all. He knew that the only thing that could get the pinkette serious was topic of Igneel. But, still that didn't mean he can allow him to do something reckless. Then, why wasn't he moving to stop Natsu, damn it!

Lucy too got worried with the behavioral change in Natsu, "Natsu! You are not thinking clearly."

This seemed to catch Erza's attention, as she turned her head towards the group. Natsu was standing in between Lucy and Gray, who was standing there like a lifeless zombie. Happy was desperately clutching Natsu's pants and was trying to stop him from moving forward. That got her worried as she paused her inspection and moved towards them.

"What's wrong with you guys? What's happening?"

Lucy turned towards Erza with a hand placed in front of her chest, "Natsu's acting weird. He is been talking nonsense since seeing those drawings." She pointed to the dragon figures. Erza observed the drawings and moved closer to take a look at what the fuss was about.

 _Dragons…?_ She thought as realization seemed to hit her like a bullet. She immediately whirled around to where Natsu stood only to find him missing from his spot.

"NATSU!" Lucy's shout startled both Erza and Gray as they turned back to see Natsu inches away from the scroll.

"No, Natsu! I still haven't removed the traps around it." Erza's warning fell onto deaf ears as he had already picked up the scroll. For a moment, Erza's chest became tight and expected the worst for her nakama.

But, entire place stayed the same with only their ragged breathings breaking the silence around.

"See! Nothing has happened…" Natsu started grinning as he turned back. No sooner did he say those words, the entire structure started shaking causing them to be thrown off their balance.

Erza observed cracks beginning to form on the roof. With the amount of distance they were in, they would be lucky if they weren't crushed to death before they escaped. The scroll issue would have to be sorted out later, after they escape from the death that threatened to impede on them.

"Everyone. Run to the entr-" Erza was interrupted as a rock fell on Gray's head knocking him unconscious. She silently cursed under her breath as she picked him. She started running as Happy carried Lucy and flew towards the exit.

Natsu started running as well with no words needed to be explained, but was stopped in his tracks as the debris fell blocking him from reaching the exit. Erza, Natsu and Gray were trapped to this side.

If anything happened to her comrades, she couldn't live with that knowledge. She glanced back at the slab to see that it still remained intact. "Natsu! Hand over the scroll! I'll just place it on the slab. Maybe that will stabilize this place!"

"No! This scroll contains clues on finding Igneel!" Natsu protested. "There's no way I am handing it over!"

Erza got serious, "You would risk it at the expense of your comrades, huh?" she questioned as she held Gray's arm tightly. Natsu just took a step back at the accusation.

"No… I-I don't mea-"

"Then what do you imply?" She said before her features softened with a pleading expression. "Just hand over the scroll, Natsu."

Natsu was shocked to find her having tears in her eyes. He hasn't seen her like that since the tower of Heaven where he confronted Jellal. His vow, where he promised himself to never see Erza like that again… and, in the end, he was the one responsible for her tears.

He sucked back a sob, "If that's the case Erza, I'll place it there myself." Natsu offered, about to go back but Erza stopped him with her other arm.

"There's no guarantee that it will work, besides I will be able to escape if something really does happen with my black wing armor. You wouldn't be able to. Take Gray with you." She said.

"Erza! Don't be stupi-"

She cut him off. "I won't waste the life that you had saved. I am not planning on sacrificing myself either. I'll be back, so have some faith in me." She practically pleaded.

Natsu knew that she wouldn't shift. She was stubborn whenever it came to her comrade's safety, but so was she. Finding clues about Igneel was not worth sacrificing his comrades and if anyone could pull it off, it was Erza.

"Fine! But I am coming back for you once I have taken Gray to a safe place." Natsu said as he handed her the scroll and took Gray off her and destroyed the obstacle blocking their path.

Erza had a small smile on her face. After Natsu was out of sight, she took a deep breath, "Okay, let's do this!" she shouted to herself, running towards the slab avoiding the incoming projectiles.

Place the scroll so that the markings coincide and that should stabilize the place.

How wrong were they with their thinking that it was the only trap set in place. They were so ignorant that they didn't notice a seal activated on the roof. A giant snake was summoned out of the seal and slithered down along one of the walls while Natsu ran out carrying Gray behind his back.

It looked between Natsu and Erza, and moved towards Erza reading the chakra coming from the scroll. Erza had reached the slab and placed the scroll on it but nothing had changed. So, she took the scroll back in her hand.

"Well that didn't work. Time to escape!" she turned around reequipping into Black wing armor but only to stop and stare at a huge snake in front of her. The brown snake hissed as it moved its head back a little to charge at her.

Erza dodged the attack and counter attacked the snake with her black wing armor's single strike but the snake wasn't bought down. Instead it wrapped its body around Erza in an instant and squeezed her causing her to squeal in pain, her grip on the scroll gone as it dropped.

Meanwhile, Natsu had handed Gray to Happy to get him out while he started to run but was stopped as another snake appeared in front of Natsu keeping him occupied.

Erza withered in pain before she reequipped into her Flame empress armor and built the fire from her sword and unleashed it covering the entire snake along with her in flames. But, since she was in her flame Empress Armor, it had little effect on her. The snake hissed retreating but she failed to notice the bindings of the scroll being gone due to the earlier flames. It rolled over before Erza could reach it.

All she saw was a black circular marking appear out of the scroll, trapping her entire body. Then it began to glow in a peculiar aura before she could react. Then, a blast of light was emitted from the scroll as she was engulfed in it, the scroll dropping from her hands in shock. The last thing she saw was Natsu running for her and calling her name before he stumbled across a rock.

..

Everything felt funny afterwards, as if she was being twisted through some pipe where she could only catch glimpse of strange colors. In a few moments, everything went still and then everything went blank. She was floating in an endless void where the surroundings were all in darkness. All she could observe were three strange tomoe floating above her spinning around in circles as if they were hypnotizing her.

She tried to scream, but no voice came out of her mouth. She felt like a prisoner, just like how she felt in the tower of heaven. Except, compared to here that was heaven.

There was no change in this world.

No time. No space.

No day, or night. No sunset, or sunrise.

This was just an empty void, where even a complete day in here compared to the standards of her world, would seem like a second or perhaps even lesser.

All that was present was not the present but only past and remembrance of flashbacks. It was boring, but would be easy if one would just give in. It just takes a bit of time to adjust.

There was no such thing as hope in this realm, and yet it somehow held within her even as her magic ran out. She felt she was being strangely comforted by the spinning tomoe despite everything in here, quite in contrast as to how she thought at first.

But, then again, how long ago did it try to hypnotize her again?

She couldn't tell. Nor, did she care.

..

She had lost all hope before she saw a glimmer of light. She moved her body as if swimming her body in water. She stretched out her hand to reach that light before everything went blank again.

* * *

The last Uchiha.

That description seemed to have a nice ring to it. It would, generally to the outsiders considering they never knew what it felt like losing an entire clan.

And, certainly no one would dare to express their opinion in front of the said person, not when this Last Uchiha also possessed the god's eye. The Supreme Rinnegan underneath the long bangs over his left eye.

Also, anyone who's anyone knew who he was.

This was Uchiha Sasuke, the last Uchiha walking the elemental nations in repentance. The wandering Ninja who went about his business and roamed the villages aimlessly without any specific goal.

To some, he was a criminal; to some, he was a god; to some, he was a misguided brat and to some, he was an enemy to kill. There were all kinds of people and many kinds of opinions on him, but he did not care who they were or what they thought of him.

Only the opinion of a select few mattered to him now. A few years back, anyone's wouldn't have mattered to him but now after the final battle between him and the hero of the world in a clash of opinions, he conceded.

That was when he started caring for the opinion of the said person. That would be his last bond that he hadn't managed to break in his old journey and would be the first one in his new journey that had started over a couple of years back.

He was wearing a black cloak with lavender lining, and a black, long-sleeved, collared shirt, over which he wore a black vest. He also wore black pants, a purple belt, and dark gray finger-less glove on his remaining hand. He once again wore his forehead protector, letting it hang from his left hip. His ankles were taped whereas he wore black sandals. His hair had grown a lot and it was up to the point where it partially covered his left eye but it remained spiky at the back.

He was walking through a forest on a personal mission when he found out that someone had broken into the Snake-Sannin's hideout and had actually managed to steal something from there. He could care less about Orochimaru and his experiments but the fact was that the item which got stolen was a scroll.

And, this scroll was his responsibility to retrieve as it contained the secrets of Uchiha.

How did Orochimaru find it in the first place was a mystery, rather it may have been that he had actually found out on his own after years of research, like that time with the Revival of Madara Uchiha, the previous reincarnate of Indra Otsusuki and also the third sage of six paths. Kabuto had used Orochimaru's information at the time granting Madara the Rinnegan.

His previous instructor, Orochimaru was a mad scientist. That guy was even able to undo the reaper death seal for Kami's sake. In some ways, it was like he had even transcended humanity and he was sure Orochimaru would still be alive and kicking young even after he grows old. That guy had the true tenacity of a snake.

Sasuke knew though peace had finally been achieved after a long time, there still few rascals lurking around who didn't know its value. These were the kind of people who would still resort to crimes and try to cause disaster and trouble to others because things didn't go their way.

Sasuke didn't try to interact with such individuals and left them mostly to the villages to deal. But, whenever it got out of hand, he would swoop in and help them in the crisis and leave before the officials get there but leave enough clues to say that it was his work.

That's what he was now. An independent shinobi, carrying his old headband as a remembrance of his old team and to remember the promise he made to Uzumaki Naruto, his brother in all but blood and his rival.

So, upon learning that a scroll relating to the Uchiha got stolen, he immediately set on his mission. If it got into wrong hands, someone might try to recreate what Danzo had done, which would only be the start of another disaster.

The scroll… thinking about it made him sigh exasperatedly. The scroll that was supposed to have been lost, was the duplicate version of one of the two legendary space-time scrolls created at the time of Izanagi and Izanami; long before Madara's time. The scroll which the thief stole contained a special seal which was actually rumored to help travel the dimensions.

Legend was that there were two scrolls of the same kind and that they acted like a gate way with one another. One day, a certain Mangekyou user who had the abilities similar to that of Obito had stolen that scroll in order to escape from the hatred of the shinobi world along with whatever family he had left.

He had stolen it and had moved to some other dimension using his abilities, but it was only one way due to the amount of chakra it required. The plan was to take one scroll to the other dimension, and then open both the scrolls at the same time, so a pathway to heaven would be opened. One that did not consume any chakra.

A civil war erupted in the Uchiha village back then, but the war was over when the said family used the scroll and vanished along with their supporters. What happened to them after they disappeared, nobody knew.

But it was suggested that they seal up the scroll as both scrolls were required to be open for it to work and that they doubted that the scroll remained opened on the other side. If anyone tried to open the scroll without the other being open, no one knew but it was rumored that they would be trapped in an endless void of emptiness with nowhere to go.

Sasuke didn't believe that such a scroll existed since it was before the formation of Konoha. His brother had been the one who told him this when he was little. He believed it to be a myth, but it didn't seem so here in this case. Maybe, the user was also an Indra reincarnate to be able pull off a feat like that.

Anyways, it looked like no one had told the thief of the risk it carried. He had to hurry if he were to prevent something bad from happening.

He had entered a cave having gained information about his location but from the Raikage. He declined the assistance offered as there was this whole Moon falling thing going on which currently Naruto and the rest were investigating. He had reached the camp that was set out inside, as the man sitting outside the camp grew cautious.

"Who's there?" He shouted.

Sasuke entered the cave, lone orb peering into the darkness as the sunlight behind him blinded his identity. "Who I am is least of your concerns. Now hand over the scroll," he said in a calm voice.

The thief didn't seem to be budged by this, "Sorry, pal. No can do. Now, wait a moment... Can it be that you have also come to join me to go to the other side? I am waiting for some people to ride alongi-"

"You are wrong," Sasuke spoke cutting off the other guy. "That scroll belongs to the Uchiha clan. And, I am here to retrieve the scroll on its behalf." The three tomoe spun in his right eye, as the sharingan flared. His Rinnegan was already active, but was hidden under his left bang.

"D-Don't tell me you are that infamous Uchiha! Uchiha S-Sasuke…" The thief's entire body started trembling.

Oh, he knew who Sasuke was. The notorious and legendary Uchiha who attacked the five kage summit. Even a separate organization was formed after him, comprised of Kekkei Genkai users who took him as their idol.

That meant, he fell into the category that adored him.

Sasuke sparing no more time flickered behind the thief and kicked him in the back, which sent him crashing down the wall near the entrance. The thief got up as he coughed some blood. He looked up and glared at Sasuke,

"I had heard that you were on a journey. I know everything about you." The thief got up. Of course he knew. He adored him after all. "You... you have every right to be angry on this world. Your clan was used up and yet... you continue to serve the leaf. Something I cannot fathom." The thief seethed, trying to sway Sasuke.

"How about it? Why don't you come with me to the new world, where no one knows who you are. A clean slate. Where nobody judges because you are an Uchiha, or because of your bloodline." The thief's eyes were glittering dangerously. This guy was a maniac. "Someplace where we won't be accused because of our bloodline. A heaven for Kekkei Genkai users!"

Even if he was a maniac, there was no denying the truth in his words. The offer was certainly tempting. But, after all that's happened, he just wasn't sure if he could just forget his past. It would forever remain as a scar in his life. But, that did not mean he would give in.

"Is this your idea of a clean slate? You are just deceiving yourself and abandoning your past." Sasuke said, unsheathing his katana. The thief winced and took a step back instinctively.

"Don't come near me!" He shouted and waved his hands in front of him.

Sasuke twitched his eye in irritation, "I am not going to kill you. Just hand over the scroll and come back with me silently." He said, but it seemed to have fallen on deaf ears as the thief desperately threw some kunai at him which the former Avenger countered with his own.

"You chose to do this the hard way," Sasuke said, his new arm synchronizing with his chakra. Left sparkles first formed before it completely transformed into his signature technique. "Chidori."

The thief knew he could not dodge that infamous attack created by Hatake Kakashi. In a desperate attempt, he immediately opened the scroll which made Sasuke stop in his tracks.

"Baka! You shouldn't carelessly just _open_ a forbidden scroll!" Sasuke shouted as black markings emerged out of it, crawling its way out that eerily reminded him of Orochimaru.

"I wasn't planning to open it until I had more information but you left me with no other choice." The thief shouted, laughing as if he had achieved something great.

Then a blinding light came from the scroll which made Sasuke shut his eyes. The situation was not good at all. But... if he could anticipate where the thief might move, he still had a chance. With this in his mind, he ran guessing where the thief was.

Half way through the blind sprint, his ears picked up movement in the direction of the entrance. _Over there, huh?_

He rerouted and ran forward taking a step or two only to be suddenly pinned down by an individual. A figure had fallen on his back which made Sasuke to fall to his front. His face was pushed against the dirt and gravel as he felt the figure not move a muscle and continued to stay on top of him.

 _Now what?_ He thought in annoyance and was about to shake the figure off, but halted when he felt a drop fall on his cheek and the wetness rolled down to his chin.

 _Tears?_ He blinked _. No, they aren't mine. That means_ … He pushed the figure on top of him aside and sat up, his eyes still closed.

The blinding light had died down in the meantime. The thief was nowhere to be seen. So was the scroll.

 _Figures_ … He opened his eyes and groaned. He sheathed his sword and ran his hands through his hair, taking in a deep breath.

So, the scroll actually reacted when it was opened. He could have never guessed it.

He sighed and glanced at the figure lying beside him contemplating his options. He picked the figure up in his arms and started walking towards the cave, to get a better look at the mystery person. He squinted slightly as he reached the entrance, as it had been dark inside. He then set the figure against a wall as he rotated his left arm in pain.

Hashirama's cells were definitely interfering with his chakra control and he wasn't sure if it was a good thing. It had taken a bit longer to charge up his chidori. Looks like it would still take him some time to get used to it.

His active sharingan roamed across the figure's body, capturing every detail. The figure was a fairly attractive female with bright scarlet hair. She was wearing a white blouse and blue skirt along with high brown boots.

That was a weird dress. Well, he wasn't one to particularly judge a person depending on their choice of clothing. He had been wearing a snake rope on him until recently after all.

The situation he now found himself seemed strange. It was like a princess fell out of nowhere when the scroll opened. He would be lying if he said the situation didn't seem like a fantasy to him.

But what struck him most were the tears that rolled down her left cheek. Her innocent look with the tears rolling down the cheek for some reason reminded him of the tears his brother shed on the night of massacre. He also had a similar look. A look that knew everything happening was cruel and wrong, but still held onto some kind of hope despite all the odds stacked against them. He was the salvation and hope his brother had held onto.

He idly wondered what her hope might have been, while staring at her absent-mindedly. Sasuke gazed at her seemingly forgetting everything around him, as sound slowly faded to silence. The gentle rise and fall of her chest, her quiet breaths faded the birds chirping, the sound of water drops in the cave in the back ground. It made him forget all the thoughts he was currently carrying as he was at peace for a relative moment. Tears rolling down the smooth milky skin, from the wide-set of eyes.

Things that he didn't think he would ever think of or notice before. This must be due to the reason that he was no longer under the curse of hatred. Well for one, she must be credited for. She was able to get a reaction out of him, which even the idiot's sexy jutsu couldn't do. A fleeting thought, he mused.

But all pleasant things must come to an end. He was brought back to reality when she winced her body slightly.

He slid his fingers of his left hand brushing aside the hair covering his left eye. Whoever she was, must be from the other side of the world where the second scroll was supposed to have been taken to _._ He deduced from her dress and when he felt some faint energy other than chakra in her body.

He brought his right hand forward and hesitantly patted her cheek trying to wake her up. He was surprised a bit how smooth her cheek was.

 _Well, she is a woman after all._ Sasuke's mind reasoned. Unlike men, women had softer and smoother complexions.

He retracted his hand when she moved her head slightly, muttering something under her breath. He saw her rub her arm across her head, before she struggled to open her eyes because of the sun light.

It was as if she was locked in dark room for an eternity at how she blinked several times, rubbed her eyes and squinted at her surroundings. Her vision seemed to have regained as she finally noticed him and her gaze met his.

His lone eye met her big chocolate eyes. With the sun setting behind them and their shadows stretching into the cave, this was just like a romantic encounter with the perfect setting. A princess fell into his lap, well exactly onto his back and they were gazing into each other's eyes for more time than it would be deemed awkward.

And, then all of a sudden, he saw her body go limp as her head fell back and gently rested against the wall. She fainted. So much for the fantasy his mother read him when he was young.

The reason could have been fatigue, or lack of stamina. Or, it could be his sharingan which caused her to freak out. Who knew?

But, he felt giddy all of a sudden as he realized something. Her being here confirmed that the Uchiha had survived on the other side. That meant, their descendants might still be alive, which in turn would mean that he would not be the last Uchiha anymore. That minute possibility was enough to bring a genuine smile to his face in a long time as he slowly lifted her from the ground.

He picked her up behind on his back. She rested her head on his right shoulder and her arms hung loose in front of him. He supported her legs with his hands to prevent her from falling and started moving forward giving her a piggy back ride much like how his brother used to give him when he was little.

 _I wonder how long did you end up in that void all alone? It must have been tough for you_. He thought in pity and somewhat relating to her. Unless he was wrong here and both the scrolls were opened at the same time. But that was a highly impossible coincidence. Her tears suggested otherwise.

He couldn't help but smile as it proved that some Uchiha survivors still remained on the other side of the world, free from the curse of hatred meaning he was not all alone. He was smirking as a slimmer ray of hope had presented itself before him in form of the red haired beauty. Tomorrow was definitely going to be eventful for the last Uchiha.

* * *

Next Chapter: Meeting.

Until then, Later!


	2. Chapter 2: Meeting

**Thanks to grither55, Nyanihyon, ROXAS, CRUDEN, cristifilip372, Keitzuro, Devil's Darklight and a guest reviewer for reviewing. Thanks to all those who followed as well.**

 **The first part's going to be in Elemental Nations whereas the latter part has the GMG arc**

 **Here's the second chapter, so let's continue.**

* * *

 **...**

 **Chapter 2 : Meeting**

Erza Scarlet, the S-class mage of Fairy tail had miscalculated on her latest mission which resulted in her disappearance. Though the mission was a success with the scroll being retrieved, Erza's disappearance has set team Natsu to begin a hunt for her. The scroll was supposed to be given to the mysterious client but Natsu decided against it as he believed that the scroll was the thing that was responsible for her disappearance. They were careful though in not opening the scroll, but given Natsu's recklessness nothing was guaranteed.

Being alone in an empty void floating without any care in the world, where none your magic or jutsu work, does have a lot impact than one would think. People begin to question their sanity as they float in an endless void and only the strong willed can pull through such situations. Erza was among one of the strong willed ones, so it was no surprise that she waited for a slimmer of ray of hope.

But the spinning three tomoe had messed with her mind more than it should have. It had hypnotized her up to the point that the only thing she actually remembered was her name, as her brain had to function entirely different on focusing on escaping from the situation rather than reminiscing about her past. Alas, it made her forget even the surname which was given to her by the man she loved, Jellal. Only time could help her regain her memories. She was in the exact state as when Jellal was when the Nirvana incident had occurred.

As she swam to the ray of light and had reached it, everything went blank. When she came to, the first thing she stared was a lone black obnoxious orb of a dark haired, pale teen staring at her before his eyes went red and had the same exact pattern as the damn hypnotizing tomoe. Everything went blank again thereafter.

Birds began to chirp as sun rays have fallen into a room. The figure in question lay in the bed, as her entire body was covered up to the neck with a white sheet. Her eyes opened slowly squinting up a bit against the bright light.

She turned her head to her side when she heard a door creak open, to observe an old lady walk into the room with a tray of food in her hands. The old lady got to beside her bed and started pouring tea into a cup wordlessly, humming to herself softly.

"Your finally awake, dear." The old lady said, smiling at her as she held out the cup to her.

Erza slowly got up and sat on the bed as she stared at the kind lady. Her eyes went to the cup, before taking it with a silent bow. But, she didn't take a sip yet as she kept looking at her reflection in the tea. Her mind was a mess right now, opposed to how calm she seemed on the outside. She had many question. The first question that came to her mind was,

"Where am I?" She asked a bit hesitantly, looking back at the old lady, which sounded more like requesting for an answer than demanding. She had been alone in an empty void and she definitely wasn't going to go ordering the first person she met.

"You are in village hidden in clouds, dear. This is a lodge you are staying at." The old lady cheerfully responded.

"Village in the clouds, huh?" Erza repeated as she held the cup a bit more tightly. She didn't recall ever hearing Village Hidden in the clouds. She must be currently somewhere far away. But another question popped into her mind.

Far away from what..?

She winced suddenly, catching her head with her free hand as her head began to ache as it tried to remember events that happened before she got here. All she remembered was... being trapped in an empty void. She didn't remember anything prior to that. It was.. strange.

"Are you all right, dear?" the old lady looked concerned, moving closer to the red head.

"Yes, I am fine. Just a slight head-ache." Erza responded back politely _. I can't remember anything. What is wrong?_ She thought as she drank a sip.

"If you say so. By the way dear, I never got your name?"

 _Erza…_ "Erza." She replied. _That's strange, I don't even remember my full name._

"That's a lovely name, Dear." The old lady said as she sat on the bed beside her.

Erza thought it was a bit strange. "Aren't you curious about not knowing my full name." she asked.

The old lady just laughed, "I know you are from Uzumaki clan, dear. They are hard to miss after what happened in the past. But, you certainly are a very beautiful one at that. No wonder you have such a handsome husband." The old lady giggled.

The red head just stared back as her mind processed what the old lady just told. She blinked once. Then twice. And thrice..

 _'WHAT?! A Husband…D-Did I just hear correctly? Where the heck did I get myself a husband from?! Wait, was I already-'_

She shook her head, as she lightly slapped her cheeks puzzling the old lady with her actions. Erza decided to play this smartly. Someone had brought her here stating she was their wife. What was their motive in faking their relationship or, is the person who brought her here really her husband...?

"Do you mind showing me the register when we checked in." She asked looking back with a clear expression. It would be awkward for her to ask her husband's name on the off chance he really was her husband. So, she asked for the register as it was sure to have the name of whoever had checked in.

The old lady got up, "Sure, dear. Follow me." She said as Erza got up.

"Oh right! Before coming downstairs, why don't you change into these clothes." She showed a set of clothes on the tray she brought earlier.

"No… I mean I cannot accept it from you without still paying you up." She said.

The old lady smiled, "These were given to me by your husband. So, no need to fret dear." She said and exited the door. Erza stared blankly at the set of clothes which were kept in front of her. There goes her mystery husband acting all kind and generous.

She sat there awhile longer, before she found a familiar bottle containing brown pills by her side. Out of instinct, she took the bottle of brown pills, which she originally received in Edolas, from her dimension and ate a pill. You could justify her action as gut feeling. She didn't forget her training and didn't forget her abilities, much like how Jellal didn't forget his moves when he forgot his past.

She sent those clothes into her dimension and then reequipped into those clothes. She wore a short-sleeved, tan yellow kimono-like blouse with a dark embroidered border, held closed with a black obi, a dark short skirt and stockings that stopped at her thighs and brown sandals. She didn't have any complaints regarding the clothes but she wanted to wear the armor in her dimension for some reason.

She got downstairs and checked the name on the register. It had 'Mrs. Uchiha' on it.

 _So much for knowing his name…. at least I know his last name- Uchiha_ , she thought idly, running her finger across the name before closing the registry in a silent huff.

"Why isn't my…" She paused for a second, looking back at the lady. It was starting to sound weird for her, "Why isn't my husband's name on this? Didn't we check in together?"

The old lady turned from behind the counter, "Oh that Dear! It was only you who had checked in at late night yesterday. Your husband just dropped you here and left saying he had some urgent work. He paid for the lodging though, so no need to pay for it." She said.

Erza brought her finger to her chin, _He isn't here, huh? He might know who I am…._ She thought as she bowed down to the old lady.

"Thank you for taking care of me." She said as she reached the exit.

The old lady nodded, "Oh! I almost forgot dear. Your husband said he would be near the Raikage's building. He told you to find him once you were all set." Erza took the new information in and thanked the old lady once again before she headed out.

..

She was roaming in a crowded market place. She had inquired the location of the Raikage's building and proceeded to move towards the building. A lot of perverted stares were sent her way even though she had changed her clothes into standard clothes for a female, but none of them actually dared to approach her. Not that she felt uncomfortable or anything under them, rather she was oblivious to them.

"Yo baby!" Though, there was one daring soul. "Your sexiness and fine body is making me go all yay! Why don't you listen to my hot blooded rap as we enjoy a cold lunch in a motel nearby, yay. The name's B. Killer Bee." She heard a voice and turned behind to see a tanned middle aged person rapping to her. He was wearing white shirt and pant and was wearing a pair of goggles with a tattoo on his left cheek and was carrying a huge sword behind his back which was wrapped up in bandages.

 _'His rapping... sucks.'_ She thought dryly. _'I think its safe to say he isn't the one who dropped me off yesterday.'_

She decided to respond politely as she was in a god knows where, foreign land and wanted to avoid making enemies wherever possible, though the offer was tempting to give him a piece of her mind. "I am sorry I cannot take up your offer, I am actually looking for my husband." She said with a forced smile.

A shocked expression was written all over his face, "YOU ARE MARRIED?! But you are so young...!"

Erza's eye kept twitching, "What can I say? We were in love." She tried hard to maintain a natural expression on her face as she fed him her lies. But, Oh god! It was tough trying to lie when you don't even know about the person who were lying about!

Killer Bee remained determined, "Miss, Can I know your husband's name?"

The question put Erza in a state of confusion. How could she answer that question when all she knows was his surname. Saying that you didn't know his name was out of question. She had learnt earlier that the last name was given first in this place.

She crossed her fingers hoping whoever her husband was, should be a famous one. She was taking a gamble. She started, "His name is Uchiha…" She trailed off to see if the latter recognized the name 'Uchiha.' But it was a huge risk she was taking, as she knows that Uchiha is a clan name much like how she was assumed to be of 'Uzumaki' clan, and many people of the same clan could exist. She hoped that Killer Bee could provide some names of the people of the Uchiha he knows so that, so that she could pick a random name from there and play some bluff game.

Killer Bee just frowned, "Oh, you mean _him_ , huh?"

Erza's eye twitched, ' _you are not helping at all_.'

"Can you tell me in which direction he went?" she asked.

Killer bee was still mumbling to himself, "Can't believe he got such a beautiful wife. He even had most of the girls here surround him, atoning for sins or not, they didn't seem to care about that."

Erza's patience was wearing thin, "Um, excuse me!"

"Oh… sorry! He went to talk to Darui just a few minutes ago. He should still be talking to him. He should be up those stairs." He pointed to some stairs which led to another Dome shaped place. There were clouds everywhere along the stairs befitting the village name.

She thanked and hurried up. When she reached there and found out Darui's location after inquiring around, she saw a tanned person having a black tattoo on his right shoulder talking to a black cloaked guy. She only saw the back part of him and concluded that it must be the person who brought her to the lodge given the description the old lady gave. Covered in all black.

She decided to interrupt their conversation and make the guy pay her for all the embarrassment she had to endure because of him. After all, who in their right mind drops their wife in an inn, and leaves when it should have been a hospital she should be taken to as she suffers amnesia. Even if she was sick and couldn't be taken to a hospital, he should at least have stayed by her side.

But, he didn't do anything like that. Something was wrong here.

..

* * *

"So, are you positive that he went to the Mist Village?" Sasuke asked.

Darui shrugged, "One of my spies did say the same thing. Sorry we couldn't do anything about the patrol because of the whole Moon mission going on." Darui said.

"Don't worry. It's alright. You guys did your job. Thank you." Sasuke said. Normally he wouldn't care to thank anyone if it were two years ago. Now that he's changed, he has become softer than ever credits to Naruto.

"Uchiha, are you sure you made the right call not going on the moon mission. You know our entire existence could be in danger again, which would be a drag." Darui said, having a bored expression which he normally has.

"My involvement isn't necessary as Naruto can handle it on his own. Besides I am on another mission."

Sasuke needed to get going soon. Yesterday's events still troubled him. A woman appeared out of nowhere in a cave, and judging by the clothes she wore, he deduced that she wasn't from around here.

And when he felt no chakra inside her, he became sure that she was from the world on the other side of the scroll. There had to be no other explanation. Otherwise, he had just stumbled across another Uzumaki which was troublesome. He would then seriously have to consider meeting a priest and have him remove the curse on him, since he seems to stumble across Uzumakis, helping them meet their long lost relative- a certain idiot.

Thus, now comes the reason for introducing her as his wife. She was from another world. If she went spouting nonsense, the cloud may capture her and interrogate her, thus putting a dent in his plans to revive his clan.

Introducing her as his wife may seem ridiculous at first, but it was to avoid unwanted attraction. Knowing that she was his wife, people would butt out. Because people knew than better to what happens when you mess with an Uchiha, or his girl since it was Obito who started the last war. One would hesitate before taking his wife into custody.

There was another entirely valid reason here for him to do so. Nobody was supposed to know the existence of such a scroll. If they knew about it, many would want to go over to the other world if they become unhappy with this one and chaos would spread over. That's how the people were.

That was also the reason why his Uchiha ancestors thought to seal up the scroll in the first place. Only a few people knew about the scroll including himself, Kakashi, Orochimaru and Team Taka. Not even Naruto knew about it.

And her identity was supposed to be kept a secret. He couldn't just watch over her the entire time. Instead, he decided it was best to introduce her as his wife so she would find him of his own accord when she woke up i.e. infuriated. The other reason was he didn't know her name. Plus it didn't invite a lot of attention.

When she would meet him, he would ask her regarding her world as he could learn about the remaining Uchiha's. If he really did sniff out other members of his clan, then it entirely wouldn't be on his shoulders to restore his clan. Nobody likes to be the last member of their clan or village left alive. That way, he wouldn't be the guy who wandered around aimlessly, an empty shell grieving over his dead clan.

That alone was the reason for his weird introduction. He even sucked up his pride for that.

This was his way of restoring his clan.

"Right! So good luck on your mission." Darui said, before raising an eyebrow looking behind Sasuke.

Sasuke nodded before he noticed Darui's cheeks gaining slight pink tinge, "What's wrong? Is eve-"

"There you were. I have been searching for you everywhere, my dear husband!" A red headed knight said lovingly, wrapping her arms around Sasuke's neck from behind as his lone visible eye twitched in irritation. Did he take a wrong decision in introducing her as his wife?

Sasuke had to bend his neck down slightly over his shoulder so he could meet her gaze. He was about half a head taller than her. He could have sworn he saw a gleam of hostility in her eyes, meaning she didn't like what she had to go through in the morning. He could also feel the blood lust for revenge behind her apparent innocent smile.

A sweat rolled down his temple as he smiled wryly, '... _She clearly isn't what I expected her to be.'_

Some coughing interrupted their touching reunion. They both glanced at Darui.

"I didn't knew you were married. Congratulations, I guess." Darui said extending his hand. Did he just imagine things, or did Darui sound a bit pissed. As far as he knew, the guy was lazy to be even pissed.

"No, You got it wrong. She isn't…" Sasuke started, but was interrupted.

Erza smiled as she saw through Sasuke's words, though he didn't show much emotion on his face. _Embarrassed now, are we? What about the things you made me go through in the morning?_

She reached out Darui's hand and shook it. "Thank you! My husband can sometimes be modest. We married in secret, so save him the embarrassment, please." She giggled.

Sasuke grabbed her by her arm, "Will you excuse us a minute?" he said and started walking away from Darui.

Darui raised his eyebrows at the strange couple, but then again anything concerning the Uchiha wasn't exactly normal. For one as far as he knew, one instance the Uchiha attacked the five Kage summit becoming an international criminal. The next, he comes back and saves the world. Then, again he tries to destroy based on what Kakashi told them.

The Uchiha guy was complicated. He never understood him. He doubted anyone in fact understood him completely except for the Kyuubi jinchuriki. But, now he was a good guy and willing to help them. Hopefully he stays that way.

Back in the corner, Sasuke looked annoyed. But before he said anything, Erza had summoned a sword out of seemingly nowhere and pointed it to his neck.

 _'That is weird. I didn't notice any seals... what kind of Jutsu is it?_ ' Sasuke thought as he saw the Red head who was currently glaring at him. He raised an eyebrow at the strange sensation he felt from her. _'Or, does it even qualify as a Jutsu in the first place?'_

"Ok mister, what the heck were you thinking leaving your wife alone in an inn?" Erza berated, cheeks lightly flushing. The guy seemed a lot intimidating up close. He had this dark look which apparently made him look even more attractive with his flawless face.

The last Uchiha blinked. It wasn't like he hadn't thought of that. Husbands were supposed to stay in the same inn as their wife. But, he did not want to take any risks, as he had not want to experience her wrath early in the morning... which he kind of was now. He needed some time to think on how to proceed and weighing his choices.

He looked blank for a moment, before trying to force a smile, "W-What are you saying, my wife? I was with you until morning. I just didn't want to disturb your sleep since it was an exhausting night."

He would probably die if anyone told him how ridiculous he looked with the smile. On second thought... never mind. He went back to his poker face immediately. "Do you want to tell me what all we did last night? I could if you want."

Erza's face heated up that, "W-When was that?! Nobody told me anything about this," her hands trembled, as the sword shook in her arms. "T-The old lady at the inn told that you weren't there. So, how?"

Sasuke sighed. He pushed aside the sword with his finger, "There's no need to pretend anymore. We aren't married. Though it should have been clear to you since you didn't see me before."

Erza gritted her teeth at having been tricked. Her blush all gone away as she glared, "Then, why did you pretend that way?"

"It was so that you would come finding me after you woke up and plus it was to save me some time. See, didn't it work rather successfully with you finding me?" Sasuke said nonchalantly. He didn't find the need to explain about the gravity of her existence in this world.

"What do you want with me?" Erza asked as she gripped her sword. This guy was pissing her with his blank face, but more for pretending as her husband.

"What do I want with you? For starters, you could say I want to know about your world. Surely you must have realized that this isn't your world." Sasuke stated, staring at her curiously and slightly surprised by her response.

Erza stood there in shock. "What do you mean by your world..? A-Am I not part of this world?" Her hand started trembling. Now it was starting to make sense to her slowly. The strange feeling she had been feeling must have been this. Maybe, that is why she didn't know about this land's name, her last name and it may explain the pills she took.

She really hoped now that the guy in front of her would blow a horn to her face, and shout 'Surprise!'. And then embrace her planting a kiss on her forehead. She would then beat him for playing a prank on her. After few arguments and a sorry, things would return to normal where he informs her that she has amnesia and that she would eventually regain her memories.

But the guy in front of her looked capable of anything other than that. His face was completely blank showing that he wasn't joking and was completely serious. She wanted to wake up from this hellish nightmare which was shattering her world like a glass. She felt vulnerable without her armor, and wanted to curl up in a corner and sob hiding from the rest of the world.

Sasuke kept staring at her face as mixed emotions played on her face, ' _Memory Loss... It must be one of the side-effects of being stuck in that void.'_

"Hey." He let out a deep sigh and called out brushing aside his hair. "You don't remember anything, do you?"

All he got was a slight nod in response from the girl in front of him. Only a couple of moments ago, she was all yelling and threatening him and now she was all quiet. He had managed to silence her. Only if he were that lucky with Naruto.

He was busy musing before his eyes widened a little. A few drops started falling onto the ground near the red head's feet.

 _-People live their lives bound by what they see as "right" and "true." That's what they call as reality. However, these are nothing but vague terms. Their reality could turn out to be an illusion. Everyone is living by their own assumptions._

The words Itachi told him during their battle echoed in his mind. The girl in front of him looked in utter despair, and he felt partly responsible for her mental breakdown. He was responsible in this instance for breaking down her reality. He felt empathy, not pity since he had the same happen to him when Tobi told the truth, breaking down _his_ illusion.

True, she may not remember anything. But her basic assumption, no, anyone's assumption if they had amnesia would be that at least someone was waiting for them somewhere in this world. If you told them you aren't from this world, and no one is waiting for you here and that you are all alone, it would be too much of an emotional stunt to handle.

Sasuke sighed one last time. _That idiot must be rubbing on me_. "The truth is I found you when a portal opened from a scroll. You were unconscious at the time." He said as her head perked up.

Having gained her attention, he continued, "There is a way to send you back to your world that is if we can find the thief who has that scroll with him."

"So you are saying there is a chance that I lost my memories when I jumped through the portal?" she asked.

 _At least she did not lose her wits_. "Yeah, that is most likely the case."

"Do you have any idea where he might have gone? I wish to pursue him myself." She spoke with a determined look. Sasuke was taken aback slightly by her eyes, but an invisible smile crept up his face. At least she wasn't a coward like him.

Sasuke closed his eyes, "As a matter of fact, I do. But you wouldn't be able to move freely in this world without any identification. Your best chance would be to stick with me."

Erza frowned, "Why do you want to help me? I am a complete stranger to you, aren't I?"

"Wouldn't you believe me if I said I wanted to help you out of kindness in my heart?" Sasuke asked as he opened his eyes and stared at her to grasp her reaction.

"You are too shady to be trusted if you say you wanted to help me out of kindness, after pulling that trick. I am not some of the girls here that fall for whatever you say just because you are good looking. So, what is in it for you?" she asked as she folded her hands.

He was surprised. He never thought using his looks to getting anything done. The girls followed him of their own will. He just scoffed at the notion, "That's mean, don't you think?" he faked getting hurt. Yes, Sasuke can criticize others when others merely judged him on his appearance, though it would be always be the opposite with him judging others.

He kind of grasped already that she wasn't some random girl given her reactions. His pride also hit some blow when she flat out rejected him. But it also made her somewhat interesting.

"You are right. I want to know about your past when or if you remember it. That's my reason for having you accompany me. I cannot tell you why as of now, though it will be clear once you remember your past." He said as she still stared at him suspiciously. He raised his hands in his defense, "I swear I am not planning to conquer your world. I am content with mine." Though nothing would be able to stop him even if he decided to. The only problem was he needed the frequency of the portal leading to that world to go there with his Rinnegan.

Erza stared at the Uchiha for a few more moments before she sighed, "Fine. We have ourselves a deal." She said as she brought her hand forward for a hand shake.

The last Uchiha shook her hand after a moment of hesitation. "How about we introduce ourselves? My name is Uchiha Sasuke."

 _Sasuke Uchiha, huh? How much trouble did I had to go through to learn your name?_ "My name is Erza. I don't remember my last name."

"You can introduce yourself as Uzumaki to others to avoid suspicion." Sasuke suggested as he retreated his hand.

"U-Uzu... Uzumaaki, huh? Let's hope for a successful partnership!" she said, as she smiled again.

"Yeah, let's hope so." Sasuke smirked, a bit surprised by her forthrightness.

And so began their journey to find the scroll of Dimensions.

* * *

 **Keep and reviewing and following this fic.**

 **Next chapter : Meeting the Mizukage.**

 **Until then, later!**


	3. Chapter 3: Past

**Here's the third chapter.**

 **Thanks to nsymina, dimas_vaw, Devil's Darklight, cristifilip372, Keitzuro, grither55, Rain-XIX and Guest(x2) for their reviews and those who are following this as well.**

 **Anyways, Let's get started!**

 **(( Edited version : previous - 5k; current - 7k))**

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 **...**

 **Chapter 3: A link to the past**

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 _Chaos._

 _That was the best word to describe what was going on. All the slaves were getting slaughtered by the magicians as a young Erza led the rebellion in the tower of Heaven._

 _The slaves panicked and started fleeing leaving Erza alone on the battle field._

 _"Don't. Don't give up now." She pleaded as her pleas fell on deaf ears. She desperately held her hand to stop others but none of them paid any attention as they all were shit scared for their lives. It was better to lead a miserable life than dying. They all were that desperate._

 _"You've got to fight." She desperately tried to reach others, hoping to fill courage in them._

 _"Move." One of the slave pushed her causing her to fall on her back. They all were scared and they definitely weren't going to follow a little girl to death in that battle. Life was still too precious for them._

 _"Wait… You've still got to save him…" she said weakly as she was left alone. Her friends had also retreated carrying an injured Simon on their back, another one of Erza's friends._

 _The flying skeletal magicians that were slaughtering the slaves had reached her,_

 _"Erza!"_

 _"Nee-san!"_

 _Erza looked behind her to see red magic circles appearing in front of the executioners. She closed her eyes and prepared herself for the inevitable. But the blast never reached her even after the explosion. She opened her eyes and was shocked to find the oldman from her cell standing in front of her, arms stretched out in a defensive stand._

 _"Mage-Jiichan!"_

 _"My magical power might have been faded, but I am still capable of protecting my friends!" the old man said. "I won't stand by and watch young lives being taken away." He said bringing his hands in front of him as he reflected their blast at them. The impact shook the whole tower._

 _But the stress put on his body was too much to handle and he immediately was on his knees. His skin started cracking up. A worried Erza moved close to him,_

 _"What's wrong?"_

 _"My will is strong but I am getting too old for this. For a mage his life energy is the source of his magical power. And once I have used up my magic, I will inevitably die. But Erza, there is no limit to your potential." The old man said getting up feebly._

 _"Ojji-chan!"_

 _The moments with Erza started flashing before his eyes as he took the damage from the enemy magicians. The smile given by Erza when he explained about magic was frozen in his mind._

 _"I never thought I would see a smile like that in such a place." He laughed softly despite the death door in front of him._

 _"Ojii-chan!"_

 _"Freedom is inside your heart." He said giving her one final piece of advice as he took the impact._

 _"Ojii-chan!" she shouted before she saw his body being completely broken as it reached its limit. The very symbol she was going to carry on her left shoulder, shattered right in front of her eyes._

 _"Erza! Fall back. Hurry!" one of her friend shouted._

 _But Erza couldn't hear any of it as she was left in a state of dismay. She kept staring at the body of the old man which turned to dust before she lost control over her emotions. She gave a loud cry of pain as a huge magic circle appeared under her and all the scattered weapons heeded to her command and attacked the guards in front of them, obliterating them in an instant._

 _"Amazing!"_

 _"All of a sudden… even the magicians…" the crowd said as they gathered around her. The same crowd which was afraid to follow her, was now given a hope in form of her. She filled them courage with display of her raw potential._

 _She saw her trembling hand, 'So… this is magic?'_

 _She closed her wrist, "I will gain our freedom. Follow me!" she shouted._

 _After leading a successful attack downstairs, she moved upwards in search of someone. She kept panting as she reached the door. On the other side of the door was supposed to be someone important to her. She brought her hand to the handle and was about to open it._

 _.._

"Erza!" a stern voice was heard. All the stuff around her suddenly shape shifted into an entirely different setting.

She was no longer blind in one eye. She could see through both her eyes and she was grown all of a sudden. Trees had surrounded her as the night took possession of the clear skies. She was holding a katana in her right hand and many kunai were floating around her pointing outwards ready to strike at a moment's notice. In her left hand was the sheath covering the Katana.

There was no longer a door in front of her. Only a familiar raven haired teen stood in front of her and shouted her name once more.

"Erza! Snap out of it!" He cried, his black orb reflecting the image of the firewood in the camp they had set up.

She blinked once more before she realized that she was dreaming about the whole tower incident...again. Something relating to her memories. Seems like the only ones she could even bring herself to remember were the painful ones in her life. They were surfacing whenever she rested or even closed her eyes. It was unsettling to say the least.

She stood still for few more moments before she let go of the multiple kunai around her, dropping onto the floor. She then gently sheathed the katana in her hand, moved around slowly without any sudden movements that would have set the Uchiha to tackle her.

She sat on the fallen log and set aside the katana against the floor. She sighed as she covered her face with her hand and stared at the fire in front of her through the gaps in her knitted fingers.

"Sorry." she said in a feeble voice, her chest tightening a bit and felt worse that she was about to harm the only person who was helping her. All because of a nightmare she again had.

* * *

Sasuke didn't know how to describe what had just aspired in front of him.

It has been a few days since they started traveling together and it was just another ordinary night with Sasuke taking the first watch. They had set aside a camp and Erza was sleeping fast in the tent, its entrance flapped over and open though.

A couple hours had passed as he stood away from the camp, perched onto the top of a branch before he shot a lazy glance at the sleeping face of Erza. In the glow of the leaping flames, he could see more of her features even from far away- a scarlet hair lock spread across her delicate cheek, slight drool churning down from the corner of her lips and thick eyelashes making him wonder when she had the time to maintain herself.

She kept mumbling something under her breath, her lips thinned and her furrows folded. She was probably having a nightmare. His gaze then shifted to her full lips, imagining for a brief moment what they tasted like before he quickly shook his head.

His gaze shifted before his thoughts could go further down the treacherous road. Sure, he was used to having Karin travel with him all the time, but she didn't hold a candle to the beauty that Erza was. And, he was always busy obsessed with his goals at one point or another, so he never really had such thoughts regarding such stuff.

He began pondering about reviving his clan, perhaps not with much conviction he had held when he announced his goals, but it was more of a necessity… out of respect for his brother. Itachi wouldn't like if the entire Uchiha clan was wiped of the elemental nations. He already had enough weight on his shoulders.

Was it because he was admiring her beauty, or was it because he had too much to drink in the earlier town, Sasuke didn't know. Either way, his thoughts shifted as to how he was going to accomplish his final goal that he had set way back during his academy days.

Sakura would probably want him back. She had been and has always been attracted to him. He didn't think of it as love, because he himself didn't know what it was. It was so long ago that he had felt such familiar but distant feelings. It felt like a life time ago.

But, then again, he did know that Naruto liked her. That idiot has always been terrible at hiding his feelings, but he didn't care at that point on what that idiot thought or who he liked for that cause. Now was a different matter. Perhaps, it would be better for everyone if they hooked up together.

Then, there was Ino. But, he wasn't sure about her. They hadn't conversed with each other in like five years and any sensible person would remember that little fact. She probably wasn't an option either.

Then… who else was there?! Yeah, there was this Lee's teammate… her name was Tenten if he remembered correctly. But, she perhaps liked Neji and might be still grieving over him. Plus, he hadn't really spoken to her till now. These were the only girls he bothered to remember from his childhood.

He would probably have to seek out a civilian girl, or he still had the option of Karin. But, that would be his last resort. He still had other missions to take care of now, and taking care of a child when he was on a journey of redemption might not be the ideal way to go.

He was musing to himself and stared off into the distance when it _happened_.

His sword was suddenly snatched away from him by an invisible force, more like a powerful magnetic pull. He immediately got down from the tree and his senses went alert when the multiple kunai they had been carrying around also vanished. He swiftly turned around towards the tent and blinked at the sight in front of him.

She was standing and held his katana in her hand pointing at him. The multiple kunai also floated around her. He never saw anyone that could freely control weapons like she did. She excelled at the art even more than Tenten. But it looked like she was under some illusion as her eyes lacked any light.

He concluded that she must be in some dream of hers and hadn't woken up yet.

He called out her name a couple of times but to no avail. He had to shout in a loud voice for her to regain her consciousness.

He was glad he didn't have to take any other action which he would feel sorry later on. He made a mental note to himself to put her under a genjutsu the next time she starts acting up like that. This wasn't the first time. There were other times she did the like that. There was this instance where she kept shouting 'Jellal' and wouldn't shut up for sage's sake.

Thankfully, she had awoken.

So, that was what happened in the last two hours, with Erza having another nightmare and Sasuke, thinking to himself on various things.

Currently, the last Uchiha stared at the red head who apologized to him, sitting back without any sudden movements and covered her face with her hands. He still eyed her warily though and was about to sit down but halted when he sensed multiple enemies surround them. He narrowed his eyes, "Erza. Could you return my katana?"

She also seemed to have taken notice of the enemies as she stood up and threw his sword at him.

"We know that you are here. You can come out now." She said in a stern voice.

The bushes surrounding them were rustled as many ninja appeared in front of them. There were about twenty Shinobi and they all were having the mist village symbol on their headband but it was crossed horizontally like Sasuke's head band, indicating one's rejection of their village branding them as Rogue ninja.

"Good job in detecting us, woman. No wonder the boss was interested in you. Come with us quietly without any resistance. We don't have much time ourselves. We should also find the boss as he finishes finding the other scroll," A cunning looking ninja said. Sasuke deduced that the cunning looking one might be the one leading the enemy party.

He slowly unsheathed his katana and a scowl crossed his features at the mention of boss. "Are you referring to the one having the Uchiha forbidden scroll?" It had to be the person he encountered at the cave. But what did he mean by the other one? There was only one scroll left in this world, right?

"Like we will just tell you who our boss is, Mr. Hobo!" one of the ninja said as his companions joined in the laughter. A dark aura formed around the last Uchiha, his right eye slightly twitching at the nick name. First, he had to deal with the red head losing her shit and now these idiots decided to give him a nick name… Bad mistake.

"I am in a bad mood. At least be sure to entertain me." Nobody trolls the Uchiha and gets away with it. Madara was the prime example of that when the five kage seemed to get cocky around him.

"Entertain you… we are going to kill you, not before you see your friend taken away by us right in front of your eyes!" the supposed leader of their group shouted. It seemed like no one had told them about Sasuke, otherwise they wouldn't have just flapped their mouths so carelessly.

They all laughed as Sasuke rested his right hand on the hilt of his katana. He was about to dash towards them in the blink of an eye but the red haired beauty stole his spot light.

"Enough!" she ordered to silence them as a red magic circle appeared in front of her. She summoned a sword in her right hand and pointed them at the enemies.

 _It's a lot like Lee's team mate's abilities but without any scrolls_ … Sasuke thought as he turned his head towards her and evaluated her stance.

"We have our fair share of swords too." One of them stated, with the rest taking out their own swords.

"If you continue to insult us, I cannot guarantee that you will see tomorrow." She warned, before she charged at them.

"Nothing new here." One of them said as she collided against their group. She cut through the enemies defenses as if they were cardboard boxes, knocking few of them out, right in the beginning. She then let out a battle cry as she jumped towards them, this time summoning a lance in place of her sword.

Sasuke watched the battle with his interest _. 'So, she can summon any weapon from her pocket dimension.'_ he deduced from what he had seen so far. Nothing extra ordinary but it was certainly impressive at the speed of her exchanging of weapons. It was like an instant, and it seemed easy as breathing air to her.

"How about this?" Few of them shouted as they performed hand seals.

" **Suiton: Suihou no Jutsu,** " _(Water Release: Water Cannon Technique_ ) a powerful beam of boiling water was launched at her. She was quick on her feet and nimbly dodged the attack before summoning dual swords in the place of lance. As soon as she was near them, she dashed forward quickly and finished them with a blow.

' _Dual swords this time, huh?_ ' Sasuke's lip quirked up a bit as he was impressed with the speed of her summoning. Being a sword user himself, he knows the difficulty of mastering a given weapon and so far she seemed to have mastery of all the weapons she had summoned.

She grunted in irritation as still around half of them remained. "There are still many of them left around. This is troublesome. I'll wipe them all out in an instant." A magic circle appeared under her feet this time surprising the others including Sasuke. Her whole body began to glow as her dress which she was wearing was removed under the bright light.

Sasuke twitched in irritation at the perverse Shinobi in front of him who were getting nose bleeds. A shinobi was meant never to show his emotions. It was looking like it was no longer the case around here now-a-days.

Still, she was full of surprises according to Sasuke. He had a feeling that ability was also a rare one even back in her world. After the light had died down, all the men excluding Sasuke had hearts in their eyes as they watched her armor. She currently ex-quipped in her Heaven's wheel armor.

Sasuke had a passive look. He failed to see how that was an armor… Armors were meant to cover up the vital parts in the body, to prevent direct damage to the area. Just like the ones Madara or the First wore.

The thing or armor that she was wearing was revealing too much skin to his liking, in contrary to his definition of an armor. Plus, the perverted and blissful cheering they sent to her despite being her opponents also did not help his argument. It was more like she was cosplaying someone.

Maybe she just pulled a Naruto. And by Naruto, he meant the dobe's trademark jutsu – The sexy jutsu.

Erza narrowed her eyes, "Dance, my swords!" she said as she flew in the air and multiple swords started spinning around her.

" **Circle Sword**." The swords spinning around her were directed towards the remaining enemies as all of them were knocked unconscious with a single volley of her strikes. Seeing as no combatant was left to fight her after the smoke cleared, she landed and reequipped into her Kimono.

The leader, who stayed back during the fight, had underestimated her and it paid him the mission. He turned around to flee seeing as he was the only one left, but was met with a lone red eye that disrupted his chakra flow in an instant.

' _So, she just wasn't cosplaying someone… her armor seemed to have enhanced her abilities. A rare ability indee,_ ' he thought, picking up the unconscious leader. Erza was still a threat to this world as she was an unknown variable and Sasuke wouldn't drop his guard around her yet, though he had promised to help her. That was just an excuse on his part.

He intended to keep a close eye on her until he was absolutely sure that she was no threat. Once she would pass in his papers, he planned to send her to Konoha for protection, but only after he was absolutely sure. She ended up here due to an Uchiha scroll and thus, she was his responsibility. Any trouble she ended up causing would also fall under his name.

No matter how pretty she was, like that ever worked on Sasuke. But he had to admit, she was the prettiest he had seen so far on his journeys since abandoning the leaf in quest for power. She put most of the woman here to shame. She might have been a real beauty and worked as a model back in her world.

Or, just a beautiful warrior, he supposed after watching her skills.

She hopped across the unconscious bodies as she reached him, "So, what do you think? Impressive, isn't it?" she asked as she clasped her hands behind her back.

Sasuke could tell that she expected him to praise or commend her for her skills. Or, maybe she wanted to check his response. After all, he was the only person she practically knew in this world. Using all her innate skills probably surprised her too. At least she could somehow use her abilities.

He resisted the urge to smirk, "I'd say not bad at all."

Erza pouted as she huffed and folded her hands, "You liar!"

They had formed a comradeship during their travels because of their mutual goals aligning. She stuck close to him, not leaving him out of her sight for long. He was her only ticket home and if he abandoned her like the people who abandoned in the dreams she has been having… she was afraid to even think about it.

But, her companion was used to travelling silently, which was evident as he scowled each time he was forced to answer all her questions whenever she asked regarding this world. Winning him over, so he would answer her questions willingly was her goal as of now and making sure he doesn't leave her side.

The former avenger's eyes glinted with slight amusement when he noticed that Erza was gone, gone into her own world. He didn't know what took over him in that moment, but before he knew it, he had already performed the signature of his dear late brother.

He flicked her forehead with the middle and index finger of his right hand snapping her out of her daze. "Better luck next time, Erza." he said with a small smile.

When he realized what he had done, he hastily turned around to save himself the explanation of his actions, partly because he himself didn't know. He leaned forward and adjusted the unconscious shinobi on his back.

"Let's hurry to the village hidden in mist and hand him over to the officials. It is no longer safe to camp here." He said in a blank tone as if the previous conversation never happened and started to walk forward without waiting for her, leaving a confused Erza behind.

* * *

A blush made its way to her cheeks as she touched the sore spot. It wasn't an act of violence. It was a gesture for something gentle and kind, the kind of gesture which was sort of reserved for only few people, or so she thought of it that way.

"Let's hurry to the village hidden in mist and hand him over to the officials. It is no longer safe to camp here." The man in front of her said, and walked forward with the shinobi on his shoulders, leaving her behind. It took her some time to come to her senses before she sprinted to catch up with him.

"What about the other Shinobi back there?"

Sasuke kept his gaze fixed to his front, "I doubt that they will wake up until tomorrow, courtesy of you. It should be enough time for the officials to reach here and capture them. As for this one, I would like to question him after we reach there."

"How long until we reach the mist village?" she asked as she caught a black cloak handed to her. She observed a frowning crinkle around Uchiha's lips as she wrapped it around her body given the cold nights of the country they were in. Maybe Sasuke wasn't as cold as he tries to prove. His actions were far more considerate which spoke differently than the emotion he was showing currently.

"It shouldn't be far away. We will reach there by mid night." He answered.

The rest of the journey was suffocating for Erza due to the awkward silence. It wasn't that she was not used to her partner's quietness. She learnt that on the first day that he didn't like to speak much. But due the earlier incidents, she expected at least some sort of reaction from him but he was all silent.

The silence continued until they finally reached their destination. Sasuke handed over the fallen shinobi to the guards at the gate. He also told them about the missing Shinobi who were unconscious at their camp site. One of the guard asked them to go into the city while he went and informed the Mizukage.

They were walking through the busy streets of the Mist village. The village was rather beautiful under the lamps according to her, though the visibility was still an issue. Apparently it wasn't named village hidden in Mist just for name's sake.

The busy crowd fell silent as they entered the market area. A lot of murmurings and curious glances were sent towards them. Upon careful inspection, she noticed that many hostile stares were sent towards the man in front of her. They were mostly from men and old women present there.

Resentment and fear. It were the best words to describe their feeling towards the person in front of her. It made her wonder if something had happened in the past between him and this village. The previous village wasn't all that hostile towards him if she remembered correctly.

"It's him, isn't it?" she heard an old lady whisper to her fellow vendor.

"Shh! What if he heard you? He'll kill us for causing trouble!"

 _That's not true. He isn't that cruel… though he may act like a cold and arrogant person_ …

She thought about voicing her opinion, but then again she knew nothing about him and his past except that he was on a journey of Redemption. She believed in her heart that he wasn't all that cruel but she couldn't speak anything as her mind told something else. Naturally, she was now interested in his past and what kind of a person he was then and now.

"Come on! He was helpful in ending the war, right?" a youth spoke to the old lady.

"It's true. But, his clan itself is the issue. If you remember, it was his clan that had started the war in the first place. His clan has caused us so much trouble in the last war and even manipulated our dear forth Mizukage." The old lady said. "What's to say he won't be the cause for another great ninja war down the line?"

"It would have been better if he would have died along with his clan. As well as you know, the Uchiha clan is a clan possessed by evil." The other lady seethed before they all became silent under the glare sent their way by Erza.

She walked up to them, "How can you judge a person merely based on his clan?" she spoke. Even though she thought it was a bad idea, she just couldn't control the anger in her. It was bad no matter how you look at it to judge a person just because of his lineage.

"Dear, are you new to this place?" the old lady asked, her eyes glued to Erza's scarlet hair. "Don't you know about the Uchiha clan and what it did to the mist village?"

"What if I don't? That still doesn't give you the right to judge a person just because of his clan." she said as the old lady sneered.

"I take that as a no. So, you don't know anything about the Uchiha clan. If you know what we knew about the Uchiha clan, you wouldn't say the same thing. The Uchiha clan-" she stopped mid-sentence and suddenly started trembling as a figure shadowed them.

"I am sorry for the commotion. My comrade can be quite open in her opinions sometimes. You'll have to excuse her." Sasuke said, who had appeared behind them. He, then took Erza with him after bowing down to the trembling old woman and walked away.

He then took her to an empty alley way.

"You should learn to mind your own business." Sasuke pointed as he released her hand.

"They were bad mouthing you, so I had to talk to them. I-" she said, but was cut-off by his sharp gaze.

"What if they did? Why do you care?" Sasuke asked in a cold tone. There was no need for her to show him pity. He had already been receiving that plenty from his friends.

Those words hurt Erza for some reason. Why did she care anyway? She should have just let them talk all they want about this attitude jerk. But she just couldn't think that way. Why was he getting mad at her, when he should be thanking her?

"As you said earlier, I am your comrade and your partner in this. I cannot let others bad mouth you like those rogue shinobi who attacked us earlier." Erza said looking him in the eye. She thought it was best to behave in a strictly allied way towards him whenever he acted like that. She was clearly hurt by his earlier questions, maybe she was the only one who thought of him as her friend.

This answer for some odd reason seemed to satisfy Sasuke, as the serious look on his face got dissolved.

"That's all the reason that you went to stand up for me, huh?" he said running his right hand through his hair having an invisible smile. Just the Uchiha things. "You are too kind, you know that? Maybe you should dial it down a bit."

Up to that point, he had never been rude to her. It was her first time seeing Sasuke that way. She was glad to see that the earlier atmosphere got dissolved and Sasuke was acting like how he normally did in front of her. She was glad though she didn't show it much on her face.

"So, now can you please tell me about the Uchiha clan and why you got all serious?" she asked hoping that he wouldn't just brush aside her question.

"Only if you tell me about what you remembered earlier." he said as a shocked expression was written on her face. "What? You didn't think that I would notice it?"

She remained silent for a moment, steeling herself before she answered. "Very well, then."

She then told him what she remembered in the tower of heaven and how she escaped from there after meeting with Jellal. She had many emotions play through her face as she told him about what she remembered. She may have even cried a bit midway as Sasuke patted her on her back. She just didn't know how rare a gesture that was for Sasuke.

All Sasuke understood was that Jellal was somebody important in her life, as she remembered a great deal about him. Like how Itachi had been for him. She told him how she was surfaced on the beach after escaping alone. After that, it was all blank.

"So, Erza Scarlet," he ran her name of his tongue and decided that it didn't sound as bad as he imagined. She looked at him with a weird expression. "What!? That's you name, right?"

"I guess so."

"But, I still recommend you to use the Uzumaki name in front of others to avoid suspicion." Sasuke said. "That name sounds too foreign and might invite many unwanted questions."

Erza folded her hands across her chest. "Now it's your turn. What did they mean by a clan possessed by evil?"

Sasuke was silent for a moment, thinking on how to answer her question. "I already told you about Senju clan, right?"

"Yeah! You said your arm was made from someone called Hashirama, the strongest of the Senju clan though you did not tell me how you lost your arm." She told him. How did he lose it anyway?

"That's a topic for another day." He said before he sighed one last time. "We, the Uchiha and the Senju clans shared a long history of battling each other. We were once bitter enemies before hidden villages were formed. There used to be a thought that in contrast to the Senju clan, who based their strength in love as opposed to Jutsu… The basis of Uchiha clan's strength was the power of their Jutsu." Sasuke paused, studying her brown eyes. "You do remember Jutsu, right?"

Erza furrowed her eyebrows and shuddered for a moment, "How can I forget about Jutsu? You drilled about them into my mind on the first day."

"So, continuing on… the truth was actually different." He said, causing her to raise her eyebrows.

He continued seeing as she had no questions, "There is no clan that feels deeper love than us."

That part seemed hard to digest for her. There was no way that Sasuke felt deeper love than anyone. During their brief stay in the Clouds village, she saw him ignoring many girls fawning over him. He also remained silent and cold. She just couldn't imagine him as a loving guy.

If anything, he looked to be only capable of the opposite. Though, a smile on his handsome face once in a while would do a lot of good. Perhaps, even change others opinion of him.

Sasuke continued seeming to read her mind, "…And that is why we have suppressed and sealed it away."

"What?" she blinked, her cheeks flushed a bit in embarrassment at having been caught dazing. Of course, Sasuke thought it was for another reason entirely and continued.

"Once a member of our clan knows love, it's almost as if all of his previously checked emotions are released. They awaken a profound love and power that exceeds even Senju's," he said as he closed his eyes.

"~So you guys do know how to love, huh?" she teased, but became silent at the stern expression Sasuke gave her. "Still, shouldn't this love help you to patch things with the senju?"

"Except it isn't as easy as you think. This great power hides within it the possibility of going out of control. When an Uchiha, who has known love loses that deep love, it is replaced by an even stronger hate that changes them. And that's when a special condition emerges." He continued closing his eyes. He was repeating the exact same thing Lord Second told him.

"Condition?" she asked.

"When an Uchiha writhes in agony over the loss of a great love or disappointment in themselves, a unique chakra is released inside their brain and reacts with the optic nerves and changes the appearance of the person's eyes." He said as he opened his eyes. He activated his sharingan in his right eye as the Rinnegan in his left eye was hidden by the left bangs.

She gasped when she saw the familiar blood shot eye. Those eyes had the exact same symbol, the three tomoe which were imprinted in her mind due to the void. The three tomoe which were responsible for erasing her past memories. She just looked away from his gaze unable to stare at it any longer. If she could describe those eyes, it would be like they were penetrating through right her soul.

She couldn't see the Rinnegan, so it saved Sasuke trouble of explaining it to her.

"The eyes that reflects the heart, this is what we call the Sharingan. The sharingan taps into the power of that person's heart, rapidly increasing their strength along with the power of their hatred. The deeper the darkness gets… the greater the visual prowess becomes, until the person can no longer be stopped. Just like Madara. You must have heard about him from various people during our journey, didn't you?"

She nodded in return. She had heard his name many times whenever someone would specify the last great ninja war. Some even called Sasuke the next Madara. One question popped into her mind after she heard all this explanation.

"Your eyes are also red. Does that mean you have also lost someone dear to you…?" she asked, but immediately regretted asking him that question. She had already guessed the answer.

"Yeah… you could say that. I am the last Uchiha left alive. So, I am sure that you can now understand their rants about me earlier in the market."

"I was right for defending you earlier then. You aren't evil…" she said, brightening up a bit but it died down quickly as Sasuke started chuckling, "…right?!" she finished unsure given his laughter.

"I was far from being a good guy," He said, wiping away a tear at the innocent declaration. This felt refreshing to say the least. Talking to someone who was practically a blank slate. Not a person who judged him, or condemned him. "For that matter, no one who awakened the sharingan in my clan was a good guy. Though," his laughter died down, as he went silent for a moment remembering about Itachi.

"There were few special cases. I knew two such guys." Itachi and his best friend, Shisui. He figured if he was going to continue traveling with her, he might as well be honest. It would be better if he told that with his mouth rather than her finding from someone else.

 _So, that's why you are cold towards others. Because you are afraid of letting someone close to your heart and are afraid of losing them… again,_ she thought sadly. If anyone told her now that she was the same when she had joined a guild named Fairy Tail, she wouldn't believe them. Not that she remembered, of course.

Now it made sense to her why Bee had immediately recognized Uchiha as Sasuke seeing that he was the only one left alive. Now that she thought about it, maybe their pasts weren't that different after all. She remembered being taken away from her village and made a slave. Then, she lost all her friends when she tried to escape the tower. She was actually surprised a little when he was rather willing to talk about his past and his clan to her. Maybe he did really consider her as his nakama.

"I do have a friend though. So, it doesn't really matter to me what anyone else thinks." Sasuke closed his eyes after reading her facial expressions.

"You are forgetting one thing. I am also your friend. That makes it what two people's thoughts that matter to you." She joked and gave him a small smile.

Sasuke stared at her in shock for a few seconds, before he closed his eyes. "So, you consider me to be your friend, huh?" he smirked. "I'd say good luck with that."

"What are you two doing over there? Not something lewd I hope," a voice interrupted their conversation.

They turned to see a brunette walking towards them with long hair reaching up to her waist. Half of her face was covered by her front bangs and was wearing a long blue dress that complimented her body. "Just kidding!"

Sasuke scowled, "Mizukage."

"I see… you still haven't done anything about your attitude, eh Sasuke-kun? Always a pleasure to see your handsome face," she walked in as a guy accompanied her having a huge sword strapped to his back. He had light blue hair and was having spectacles.

"Who is she?" Erza whispered to the man beside her. The way they spoke to each other showed that they probably had some sort of history. But, knowing Sasuke, it was probably not the one she is thinking.

"Erza, meet Mei Tarumi, the fifth Mizukage of this village and her bodyguard, Chojuro…" He pointed towards them.

"And Mizukage, meet Uzumaki Erza, my fiancée." The last declaration shocked everyone present there including Erza who just flapped her head in his direction.

* * *

 **Well, we see Sasuke learning about Erza's past and saw the way she fought against the rogue shinobi. It also got him thinking about his other goal. In turn, Erza also learned something about Sasuke and his clan. And, we also see Mizukage and Sasuke pulling some crazy shit again in the end.**

 **Keep reviewing and following this fic. If you have any suggestions or other queries, you are welcome to PM me or leave a review.**

 **Next chapter: Reunion with Team Taka**

 **Until then, later.**


	4. Chapter 4: Team Taka

**Here's another chapter. Thanks to** **Keitzuro,** **grither55, cristifilip372** **Rain-XIX, blacknredrose37 and** **nsyminav (for your suggestions as well and no, infact I welcome it if you can review like that, it helps me get some ideas) for reviewing. Thanks to those who are following this as well.**

 **I was finished with this chapter, so I thought to update it as soon as possible.**

 **The events from now on until Erza returns to Fiore will be the same as the events happening in Sasuke Shinden(about time I started that) along with NaruHina wedding. The sparks between them may happen in Fiore. Like I say, I don't know that myself. It will be clear as the story progresses.  
**

 **After that it is going to be the start of GMG arc.**

 **Let's continue,**

* * *

 **...**

 **Chapter 4: Team Taka**

"Fiancée?!"

"Yes, she is my Fiancée. I met her on a journey while I was traveling to complete the missing nin mission." Sasuke said unfazed looking Mizukage in the eye.

Meanwhile, Erza's face rivalled her hair as she fought the blush. "W-what are you saying all of a sudden?!" she blurted out.

"She is just embarrassed as you can see for yourself." Sasuke said to Mizukage as he moved next to Erza and placed a hand on her shoulder. Chojuro watched the exchange between them, sweating as the word marriage was thrown casually around the Mizukage, Mei.

She would normally misinterpret the normal words as something related to marriage. She often used to threaten Ao for the very reason.

"It's getting late." Sasuke said.

 _Late ….late marriage?!_ She reacted with a twitch at his words.

Aware of the Mizukage's animosity towards marriage-related topics, Chojuro quickly addressed Sasuke.

"Raikage-sama's land is harsh for everyone… what Sasuke-san meant to say was they were tired after journeying through his land. It would be painful to his fiancée if he were to keep her up any more."

"Yes, thank you for your concern, Chojuro." Sasuke said.

 _Late marriage…a harsh place…painful annulment?!_

The Mizukage's expression immediately became grim, despite the amiable conversation between the two. A sullen aura surrounded her.

"Mizukage-sama, what's wrong?" Chojuro noticed the Mizukage sink into silence and tilt her head strangely. She exhaled and became serious.

"I was recalling something sad…if _he_ were here…."

"Ah….senpai…I also wanted him to see my present form…"

That the Mizukage also wanted him to see how Chojuro had grown was not what she was thinking. Her feelings stemmed from different thoughts, but without denying his words, she smiled and agreed.

"So, Sasuke-kun. Here are the details you asked for. Hopefully this will help us in getting back the missing nin." Mizukage said handing him the scroll. "A lot of our Shinobi are missing, so the borders aren't as tight as they used to be. And we had to postpone the mission due to the Moon incident."

"I understand." Sasuke said. Mizukage and Chojuro took their leave.

"What the heck was all that about?" Erza said smacking him on his back. Sasuke just wore an annoyed expression.

"…"

"Why are you so intent on introducing me as your Fiancée, first you said I was your wife, and now this. Don't tell me…." She covered her mouth with her hands, "You like me, don't you?"

"Don't pull yourself into weird fantasies. It was to cover up your identity. You don't realize the gravity of the situation you are in. If people found out about your existence or about another world where people could survive, chaos would spread over." Sasuke said.

"That still doesn't give you the right!"

Sasuke sighed. "Fine. I'll treat you to something… a dessert maybe. And next time I'll ask about what I should say beforehand. Are you happy, now?" Erza's facial expressions took a three-sixty degree from an annoyed one to an elated one.

They walked through the streets as Erza kept hopping whereas Sasuke wore a bored expression. They finally reached a dessert shop.

"So, what do you want?"

For some reason, Erza's gaze was fixed onto a strawberry cake having whipped cream and many cherries on top of it. Sasuke taking notice of it, "Are you planning to eat an entire cake or is a slice enough?"

Alas, Sasuke didn't know about Erza's love for Strawberry cake. It just shows her love for it as she still remembers about it even after she lost her memories.

Erza scoffed, "You don't think I can eat an entire cake?"

"I don't even wanna know. Old man, this one please." He said pointing to the cake.

Erza took the cake with a delighted expression on her face and sat at the table outside. Meanwhile Sasuke paid for the cake and sat with her. She frowned,

"Why don't you order something as well? I am not going to share it with you, you know." She said putting her hands in front of the cake defensively.

"I wasn't planning to. Plus I don't like sweet things, though I am worried about how are you going to finish the entire cake by yourself." Sasuke said taking out the scroll.

Erza saw him like he had just now said something grave, "Y-you don't like sweet things?" after earning a nod from him. "Why are you even alive?"

Sasuke's lip twitched in irritation, "Seriously, your obsession with the strawberry cake is same as the dobe's with his Ramen." Having no response from her, he looked at her to see her completely indulged in eating the cake. He had a smile as he saw her eating peacefully.

He then opened the scroll given to him by Mizukage and started reading it. His jaw fell down slightly as his eye brows raised a bit.

"What's wrong?" Erza asked noticing the minute changes in Sasuke's expression.

Sasuke quickly closed the scroll, "If what is written here is legitimate, then my previous mission and this one are coinciding."

"Your previous one?"

"I was investigating the dark thunder group formerly known as the Lightning group. They were a bunch of blood-line limit users like myself. I was supposed to extract information from their head, but some disturbances occurred and he is dead." Sasuke said as he tch'ed in irritation as he remembered how the death had occurred.

"How does that concern this?"

"The shinobi who attacked us were rogue ninja working with the enemy. He apparently stole the Uchiha forbidden scroll and my guess is that he used it to win himself some comrades. They all are plotting to flee this world and I am positive that they attacked you for gaining more information on that world." Sasuke said as she took in the information. "As for the previous mission, about a hundred mist shinobi went missing. Whoever was responsible for it was also responsible for the attack on you. This links up to one thing."

"If we find the scroll, we find the missing shinobi." Erza said thinking to herself. "So, do you have any leads?"

"I know a person who might have information on such things." Sasuke said getting up seeing to as Erza finished her cake.

"And, who might that be?"

"He is someone called Orochimaru."

..

* * *

Orochimaru, one of the three legendary sannin. In his quest for learning everything related to Ninjutsu, he abandoned the Konoha and fled the village. He later plotted to destroy the leaf due to his personal grudges and attempted to kill the third Hokage, which he was successful. He even managed to lure Sasuke out of the village who was on a quest for power to take his revenge on Itachi, which was the common goal among them only to be back stabbed by Sasuke later on.

Being a creepy guy, he somehow managed to come back to life during the fourth Great ninja war. He, much like all the main villains during that time, learnt their mistakes and decided to correct themselves. Orochimaru was far from repenting himself but the good news was that he had no more leanings towards destroying the leaf. He was just conducing his experiments peacefully, of course with Yamato kept on his watch.

Sasuke weighed his options once more about taking Erza with him to the hide out and decided it would be best if she were to stick close to him. He sighed and prepared himself as he came into sight of Yamato who was outside the hideout's entrance.

Captain Yamato, as Naruto fondly calls him that, was part of the Sasuke rescue mission which resulted in a failure. Back then, Sasuke and Yamato exchanged few blows but it was only for a short time before Orochimaru intervened.

Erza stuck close to Sasuke as instructed. "…this is going to be troublesome." She heard those words escape from his mouth. As far as she knew, nothing actually bothered him until now. If he said those words, this Orochimaru guy was definitely strong.

When they got closer to the hideout, a man suddenly blocked their way. It was a known face.

"Sasuke… it's you. Let me introduce myself, I'm Yamato," He then eyed the red head beside Sasuke. "And who might this be? I don't think she is Karin."

"This is Erza. She…" he started but looked at Erza to see her glaring at him on how he was going to introduce her. "…is helping me on this mission." Her glare seemed to vanish after he finished.

"If you are helping Sasuke, then you must be strong. I am Yamato." he said, extending his hand as Erza shook it.

"Erza Scarlet. Pleasure to meet you." She said as Sasuke face palmed.

"Scarlet...? That's a strange name," Yamato said getting confused.

"Yes, it is." Sasuke said intervening before he asked any more questions. "Looks like Orochimaru is here."

Orochimaru had bigger hideouts, but he had no doubt he was here. Yamato inhaled with a _fuu_.

"I give up. Will you tell me your business?"

"I have some business with Orochimaru."

"Well, I worked that much out for myself."

"…"

"…"

Erza just groaned at those two. "What's with you two? Can't you at least make some progress in talking with others, Sasuke."

Sasuke was silent. Also Yamato crossed his arms and sank into silence as he watched Erza lecturing Sasuke on talking while Sasuke had no reaction. Probably he intended to wait thoroughly. In that case, the conversation was going to make no progress.

"…It's possible that Orochimaru has some information related to the scroll that was stolen and the dark thunder group." Sasuke said finally giving in to Erza's stare.

"The replicated scroll which Orochimaru made of the Uchiha clan's version?"

"So, you know about it as well? That makes it easier."

He then, briefly explained him the situation, and Yamato seemed disappointed. He unfolded his crossed arms, and scratched his head.

"Did you get in contact with the Sixth for this matter?" Yamato asked. Erza understood by Sixth, he was referring to Kakashi, Sasuke's former sensei. She had juiced that information out of him earlier.

"I don't want to trouble him with this as the Moon falling thing is happening. If this gives results, I intend to report to him."

"Well, it'd be better if you send your progresses en route in detail, it's easy to take connection even if we're here but…"

Yamato looked at Sasuke steadily.

"But, you're doing it for Konoha's sake, right?" he asked looking him dead in the eye.

At Yamato's question, he had trouble breathing for a moment.

He was doing it for Konoha's sake, that's right. He was doing it so naturally that it seemed strange even to himself. Even if he didn't stay in the village, he was concerned with Konoha. He had such feeling. But he was also doing it as a means to revive his clan, which he would not disclose at the moment.

"…yeah."

At Sasuke's reply, Yamato let those both through saying "It can't be helped."

"…is it ok?"

"I'll report to the Sixth. Because you're my 'comrade'. And since Erza-san is also working with us, I consider her as my comrade as well. Trust and importance of teamwork, Kakashi-san taught them to you, right?"

Kakashi, Team 7. The memory of those times was brought back to Sasuke's mind.

Again he felt like he was gathering from the start important things that he had thrown away. Though a certain red head kept reminding him the team work's importance since they were in a partnership or alliance to speak.

"…thank you."

Saying this, Sasuke walked into Orochimaru's hideout. Yamato stopped Erza behind as he went in.

"Is this your first time going into Orochimaru's hideout?"

"Yeah."

"Remember to be careful inside and be wary of Orochimaru. Does Sasuke trust you?" Yamato asked.

Erza replied without wavering, "I have all the reasons to believe that he trusts me."

Yamato's serious look got diffused, "Good. If, so please watch Sasuke's back on this mission as he tends to travels alone and keeps mostly to himself. His friends are worried for him."

"I most certainly will." With that said she joined Sasuke inside the cave after bowing down to Yamato.

"What did he say to you?" Sasuke asked as they walked.

"Nothing… just that your friends are worried sick for you. Apparently you have more people who care about you than you think." She said the last part in low voice looking down but Sasuke heard it. He looked at her seeing as she had a sad expression. She was probably starting to feel lonely in this world.

"And I am sure you are one of the top people on that list." Sasuke said stopping momentarily.

The sad expression on her face faded away, "Yeah, you are right." She said with a smile. His soul was broken beyond repair and maybe this was his way of slowly repairing it through time. Things he often thought of as pointless.

Revenge supported his heart during his dark times but also damaged it beyond repair. Maybe, because always others paid their attention to him while he was immersed in the hatred, he didn't notice it but taking care of someone was one way repairing one's soul. His sensei, Kakashi had gone through the exact same thing when he was handed team 7 after losing his friends and his sensei, the fourth Hokage. Taking care of them, worrying for them, maybe that was the reason his brother never fell to darkness as he had his little brother to take care of. His brother always used to think of him while he had no one to think of except taking revenge on his brother. When he finally found the truth and felt the affection again, his brother was long dead.

Itachi probably carried all of that sadness and anger with him. Without knowing anything about Shisui's thoughts or wishes, his life was taken for the sake of the Uchiha Clan and interpreted for their own convenience. The means of their criticism, unfortunately, would change the fate of the Uchiha. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen, spoke of how Itachi paid attention to the thoughts and signs from his predecessors that no one else noticed, even as a child. He was a delicate child who did not focus on the ties of the past. Without the binding ties of the Uchiha, he was able to think of previous shinobi and villages and fear for the future.

Like Itachi, Sasuke had also questioned the future. The situation before him was the matter of the Konoha Police Force. Konoha's Police Force managed crime, and they made their contribution to the village as a unit that maintained public order. Established by previous Uchiha, Sasuke's father, Fugaku, acted diligently as its leader. Therefore, Sasuke used to wonder whether Itachi would come to work there as well.

The answer was unclear.

At that time, the purpose of the Police Force was to cut off the Uchiha Clan from the rest of Konoha, and there was also talk of Itachi entering the Anbu. Sasuke had innocently said that Itachi should join the Konoha Police, because he himself would join the Konoha police when he grew up.

That, for sure, was a foolish little brother's dream.

 _"….Is that so?"_ Itachi had answered him.

The vision of the Konoha framework existed far and wide. Even so, Itachi had replied kindly, knowing that his brother dreamed of belonging to the Police Force and enduring missions together. He still had mixed feelings about Itachi and the Uchiha Clan, and how he became a victim of Konoha. There was a time when he thought only of restoring Itachi's honor. During the Edo Tensei, Itachi was resurrected. Upon parting, he supported the back of Sasuke's head with his hand and joined their foreheads together, looking closely into Sasuke's eyes as he spoke his final words.

 _"I will always love you."_

Because of the love he had for his little brother, he wanted to leave the world without any resentment or hatred. He wasn't worried about restoring his own honor.

However, Naruto seemed to be spreading around the fact that Itachi had lent his power for the sake of the world when he was brought back under the Edo Tensei. Naruto likely knew about the Uchiha coup d'état, but without touching on the subject, he named Itachi as one of the ninjas that helped in the war effort. Though people did not seem to be convinced, there weren't many who doubted Naruto's words. Even if people doubted him, Naruto would not give up on continuing to tell his story. Whether this is what Itachi wanted or not, he had his reasons for his actions, and the day might come when Konoha would grow to understand.

Such was Itachi's love for Sasuke. Maybe if he also found someone to take care of, always thinking about their well being, maybe he wouldn't fall to darkness again. Sasuke had escaped the darkness, but there was still a possibility of the same thing happening in the future. The violent impulse lay asleep inside him, eating up his sense and reasoning. To avoid making the same mistakes, Sasuke needed time alone to reconsider himself.

Erza clapped her hands in front of him, "Hello!" she waved her hands in front of him as he blankly stared at her. "You went into some sort of trance back there. I had to bring you back to earth."

Sasuke stared as she rambled about his lack of attention to what she was saying. Maybe, if he found out another surviving member of the clan through her, he would definitely sit with them and have a long chat about the doubts concerning him.

"Let's go in." he said ignoring her.

They opened the doors and entered the long hallway. In the walls that vividly reminded him of a snake's skin, artworks of snakes were used to decorate the place he arrived to. Probably those also served as a surveillance camera. Orochimaru must have seen him, too.

"It's been a while, Sasuke-kun."

They proceeded silently, and before they reached the depths of the hideout Orochimaru showed up with a smile floating on his mouth.

"Creepy!" Erza whispered to Sasuke as Orochimaru rolled out his tongue. "Is that a man or a woman?"

"Who knows?" Sasuke casually shrugged the question.

Orochimaru was a genius of his generation. The depth of his knowledge on ninjutsu and his spirit of persistent quest exceeded every other shinobi's.

His tenacity was snake-like, he had experienced the abyss of darkness, and there was a part of him that transcended humanity.

"Sasuke-kun! I didn't think that you thought of my place fancy enough to go on a date." Orochimaru said eyeing Erza. "Oh! An Uzumaki too… Sasuke-kun, I envy you and your luck at always having a way with Uzumaki." he grinned having a mischievous glint in his eye.

' _What's with the people and their obsession with Uzumaki clan…?_ ' Erza thought as it was constantly being thrown when anyone saw those both together. She knew that Uzumaki clan was almost extinct, but still she couldn't help but get annoyed each time it was pointed out.

"Do you know the 'Lightning Group'?" Sasuke asked without beating about the bush.

Orochimaru muttered, "Ah."

"You know them?"

"Oh, I've heard of them. Though I heard that in the end they've been 'suppressed' by Mist village."

Orochimaru laughed snickering. Apparently he had come to know that Mist village framed the Lightning Group to create a connection with the high executive.

"There's the possibility that the head of this Lightning Group is responsible for the missing Shinobi and the scroll stolen from here." Sasuke said what he knew so far.

"Really, the head of the Lightning Group…"

Sasuke's expression became stern for the tone of voice he was using.

"If there's something you know about it, spit it out."

" _Fufu_ … You're the same as ever… Is that the attitude you use when you ask something to a person?"

Sasuke urged Orochimaru, who had bent his head in question: "Do it quickly".

Orochimaru made an even wider smile and questioned "Are you sure you want to talk about it in front of her?" Sasuke looked at Orochimaru plotting something in that brain of his.

"You can talk about it in front of her. And Orochimaru, don't even dare to mess with her." His expression became dark at the final warning. Erza not understanding what they were talking about tilted her head in confusion.

"This situation became somehow amusing… If I remember correctly the head of the Lightning Group was a man named Fuushin, a kekkei genkai user(blood line limit user), and at the beginning he was supposed to be in the group of Oyashiro En's guards."

"Oyashiro En…?"

He had never heard of that name.

"He's a man who belongs to nowhere. While he's a shinobi, that man is also an arms dealer. Since he would sell weapons on large scale to anyone as long as he can pile up money, he's called merchant of death. He was very skilled in amassing enormous fortunes in his lifetime."

"And that guy was his guard?"

"He was also a guard, but he provided arms in the battlefields together with Oyashiro. The elites, too, come out in the foremost lines of the battle. He was also close to the Anbu."

In that case, if he went asking Oyashiro the story he would probably get closer to the head of the Lightning Group.

"Where's Oyashiro?"

"Come on now. Apparently he has more hideouts than I do. So it may be difficult to go in search for him."

Sasuke scowled at Orochimaru, glaring.

"It's impossible that you told me such unsubstantiated talk so expressly if you didn't knew his location."

At Sasuke's words, Orochimaru laughed to himself.

"You trusted me? Oh well. I don't know where he is, but I can lure him out. But moreover… will it be difficult?"

' _Will you do it despite this?_ ' Orochimaru was asking him suggesting something.

"What do you think I came here for? But don't involve her too much in whatever you are planning."

"We may have to if the situation demands." He said.

"I am willing to be helpful if it is something that I can do." Erza said deciding to voice her opinion.

"Thank you, dear. That should settle the matter then, eh, Sasuke-kun?" Orochimaru said smiling slyly as Sasuke frowned.

"Tch. All right." Sasuke said admitting defeat.

At Sasuke's answer, Orochimaru muttered "I feel the wind." and smiled again. He eyed Erza, smiling slyly at her before taking their leave.

The preparations would take little time. Orochimaru had said so, and they waited in the hideout for a short while.

"Sasuke! Who is that woman behind you?"

"Yo, what kind of evildoings are you planning by coming here and what's with the chick?"

"…Long time no see."

Thereupon, the members of Taka that once fought with him rushed over to him.

Erza observed the members of taka. One was a huge muscular guy having orange hair. Despite his outward appearance, he seemed like a peaceful guy. Next was a lean white haired guy. He was grinning like an idiot upon seeing Sasuke. The last was a woman having the same hair color, maybe not as bright as her's. She understood that the opposite was an Uzumaki and why everyone assumed her to be one as well.

"Looks like Karin has sensed you early on, she was all having ants in her pants. But she did tell she sensed someone with weird chakra around you and rushed here." Suigetsu said seeing Erza. "Now that I see the situation for myself, I think she made us rush here because a woman was with Sasuke, ain't that right Juugo?"

"No! It's only because I was worried that some problem had happened! Don't say things at your convenience!" Karin shouted.

Erza watched their exchange with interest. ' _Must be old comrades of Sasuke._ ' She learnt a lot about Sasuke while travelling together with him although the only thing he ever told her was about the Uchiha clan.

Just like in the old times Karin began arguing with Suigetsu. While looking at those two arguing back and forth, Juugo asked him about his present condition "Are you still on your journey?"

"…yeah."

"Who's the chick Sasuke? Another one who fell to your charm?" Suigetsu asked feeling a bit jealous at his friend's good fortune.

"My name is Erza Scarlet. I am a partner to Sasuke in his current quest." Erza said stepping forward and introducing herself formally. She then turned to Suigetsu, "And to answer your question, no. I did not fall to his charms. In fact, it may be the opposite."

Sasuke raised his eye-brows at the declaration and but smirked inwardly. Suigetsu had nothing but appreciation for Erza thinking about how a woman finally appeared who was resistant to Sasuke whereas Karin glared at her. Juugo did not seem to care about this conversation.

"Didn't you go back to Konoha?"

Karin asked him as if she was worried about something, but Suigetsu butted in, "You can't help but caring about Sasuke's things, don't you?"

"Seriously, shut up, bastard!"

They nearly started arguing again, when Orochimaru appeared.

"You two, shut up. Sasuke-kun, the arrangements are set. Let's go." he also signalled Erza to follow.

"Orochimaru-sama, are you going out anywhere?"

Orochimaru smiled broadly at Karin's question.

"I'm going with Sasuke-kun and Erza-chan to the sea for a little while."

At Orochimaru's words, Karin and the others sank into silence for a second.

"Eh-eeh? To the sea with Sasuke…?" Karin shuddered.

"Don't tell me you are interested in that woman too, Orochimaru-sama." Suigetsu asked.

"You look after the place."

Being told to hold back, Karin dropped her shoulders. "I can't imagine something like the sea with Orochimaru-sama." Suigetsu stiffened.

"Wait, this is new to me too."

Sasuke scowled as he followed Orochimaru, who had volunteered. Erza followed quietly behind them. She was mostly quiet in the hide out as it felt awkward for her to talk something when they all were chummy-chummy. Watching Suigetsu and Karin argue like that reminded her of some people, but it was all hazy on who the people in her memory were and she started having a head-ache. She was broken out of her thoughts when Sasuke asked where they were going.

"We are going to the sea… to be accurate, a solitary island that floats on the sea. Over there, there's the amusement place of rich people."

"…is Oyashiro there?" Sasuke asked.

"If he took the bait." Orochimaru gave him a suggestive smile.

* * *

 **And cut.**

 **Keep reviewing and following this fic.**

 **Until then, later!**


	5. Chapter 5: Oyashiro En

**Hey guys. Here is chapter 5. Oyashiro En isn't an OC. He is an actual character in Sasuke Shinden. It will continue for likely another one to three chapters before Erza returns to Fiore. Yes, she returns to Fiore in another two to three chapters.**

 **And since I am clubbing both Sasuke Shinden and Naruto the last, I may be altering few things and missing out few characters.**

 **Thanks to grither55, blacknredrose37, ADecentWriter101, Rain-XIX, Devil's darklight, and Anon-chan for your reviews and to those who are currently following this fic.**

* * *

 **...**

 **Chapter 5: Oyashiro En**

After Sasuke and Erza left, Suigetsu said, "Sasuke having a woman accompany him and working for other people's sake…", looking somehow moved.

"Originally he was a Konoha shinobi. And Uzumaki's are close to Senju's, one of the founders of the leaf. Probably they're not just strangers."

"Even so," the swordsman exclaimed at Juugo's words. "He didn't go back to Konoha. Doesn't he feel like staying yet?" Suigetsu said.

At Suigetsu's doubt, Karin said, "You don't understand." and scowled at Suigetsu. "They say that the huge wars disappeared, but there are probably still many dangerous rascals out there. Since Sasuke has those eyes, there are also guys who target him."

Sasuke had the Sharingan in his right eye, as a survivor of the Uchiha clan, and even the Rinnegan in his left eye. His eyes were the most desirable feature for men who wanted power. That's why Orochimaru wanted Sasuke's body, once in the past.

"If Sasuke stayed in the village, probably some shinobi who would attack the village aiming at him would appear," Karin said. "So by spreading around the voice that 'Uchiha Sasuke isn't in Konoha, he's constantly wandering around the world', they decrease the possibilities of harm occurring to the village."

"If he were very close to the village, maybe some guys would appear, trying to draw out information from people connected with Sasuke. Probably one of the reasons he is keeping Erza close to him instead of sending her to the village for protection." Juugo said supporting her.

"What do you mean by protection? isn't she helping Sasuke on this mission?" Suigetsu asked. Karin looked at her dumb friend.

"You know Sasuke well, don't you? I think she has something to do with the scroll and the missing nin. It's highly possible that the shinobi whom Sasuke is tracking, are going to try to capture her." Karin said.

"He couldn't risk the village's security for Erza's protection. That is why he took it on to himself to protect her. He probably has his reasons." Juugo said.

At Juugo's adjunct, Suigetsu said, "That does explain about Erza-chan. But all of his other friends, I mean the guys connected with Sasuke, must be all strong like a fool, right? They won't let information be extracted from them easily." and tilted his head in contemplation.

"It's not only this. If he were in the village, he would also come face to face with very young children. Probably there would be guys who would try to extract information even from these children." Juugo said, getting back to the earlier topic.

As Jūgo said, in this world there were also shinobi who could go as far as becoming inhumane to achieve their goals. They didn't know what they would use.

"I don't know about that."

"There are also guys who adored Uchiha Itachi, Orochimaru-sama's object of research, and bear a grudge towards Sasuke because he killed Itachi. He's probably trying his best not to leave behind information in the village."

"I wonder if Sasuke thinks of so many various things to this extent." Karin said. It was natural that she got a doubt since Sasuke doesn't show much on his face and even when Team Taka were travelling together, his team mates couldn't guess what he was thinking.

At Karin's words, Suigetsu was somehow half in doubt.

"I'm not sure, but if it's so, is Sasuke going to travel all the time?"

At Suigetsu's words, Jūgo answered "It may be so."

Hearing this, Karin lowered her eyes.

"..."

Karin entered in her room and fetched a photo from inside her desk. Once, when they moved as Taka, Karin took it by force, extorting it. She had wanted to take the photo with just the two of them, but Suigetsu and Jūgo were there, too.

Karin was staring at this photo motionlessly.

"…What are you looking at?"

Thereupon, Suigetsu peeped at it indelicately from behind Karin's back.

"…fuck you, idiot! You have no tact!"

"Gah!"

Karin gave a back fist blow to Suigetsu's face. Suigetsu's face liquefied and water splashed around. Karin yelled flustered while adjusting her glasses.

"Nothing, I was just thinking that maybe they don't even have one photo. I should have asked about it to them."

"They? They who? Sasuke and Erza?" Suigetsu asked having a confused expression.

"Sasuke? Ah, no… Shut up!"

She kicked him flying again with all her strength.

"Get out, moron!"

Karin threw Suigetsu out of the room hitting him with a kick, and sending him flying. When Suigetsu's presence was far away, she looked at the photo again.

"…If we meet again, I could ask her… I can easily make at least a photocopy."

But she didn't know how she would meet with the Scarlet haired girl again. Karin closed the photo in the desk.

"Sasuke... what in the world are you thinking right now? How would Sakura feel if she heard that you were travelling with another woman... at least be sure to give her a proper explanation." Karin mumbled to herself in a low voice.

..

* * *

The entire journey to the island went in silence, to which Erza was thankful. It would have felt awkward for her if Orochimaru and Sasuke had started talking during the journey to each other like they were buddies, which she assumed. It would be exactly like how it was back in the hide out, where she felt left out of the place. But thankfully, it seems Sasuke doesn't consider Orochimaru that close though Orochimaru kept bugging him about some woman whose name he didn't reveal whereas Sasuke just glared in response each time.

They had boarded a boat from the nearest harbor, and they moved into an even smaller boat from the island they finally arrived at.

As they advanced, all around them was enveloped by mist, and their field of vision decreased. The boatman was rowing the boat without speaking, as if he was accustomed to it.

Erza was currently sleeping, tired from the travelling.

She clearly wasn't used to travelling like him. His gaze fell on her as she was currently seated beside him, her head against his shoulder as she slept. He felt a bit relieved that she slept showing her complete faith in the man beside her though it unnerved him a bit. He could never put his faith like that in someone whom he had met just a couple of weeks ago better yet sleep that way near Orochimaru. This just showed him the difference between the two coming from similar pasts, or so he would like to say it that way. His attention shifted to the man in front of him when the said person was smiling slyly.

"You have grown a soft spot for her, haven't you Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke just narrowed his eyes but did not say anything.

"You are not even going to deny it...?" Orochimaru asked with his eyebrows raised. "I never figured you could be such a romantic..."

"..."

"FuFu...It's no fun if I am the only one talking. You are no fun at all, Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru said, getting amused at observing Sasuke's face twitch in annoyance. There was some brief silence after that. Sasuke decided to voice his thoughts,

"...It's strange that you can move in this way as you please." Sasuke said diverting the topic while staring at the prow of the boat that advanced inside the mist. His former sensei had tried to destroy Konoha and assassinated the Fourth Kazekage. And besides these things, Orochimaru had committed various serious crimes.

"I am not free. And, Sasuke-kun, you're one to talk?" Orochimaru replied while gazing at the waves stirred by the wind. As Orochimaru said, legally speaking, Sasuke should have been imprisoned for life.

Erza didn't know about any of the crimes the two had committed. Probably if someone had told her that she was going on a trip with two people who should have been given a death penalty, she would have had her guard up instead of relaxing her form near them.

"Besides, even Kabuto, who is one of the war criminals of the Fourth Shinobi World War, is living in the outside world now, right?" Sasuke asked.

Yakushi Kabuto was Orochimaru's right-hand man, and in order to know what kind of person he was he had kept storing one thing after another inside his body.

By means of the Edo Tensei, a Kinjutsu he performed, the ninja world was about to follow the way of destruction. Not to mention his actions, the lives he stole, all the crimes that were allowed.

Probably there are people who hated Kabuto's past actions, so there must have been people anxious about Kabuto's future. If he had been left alive, he could make the same mistakes again.

"Though, if compared with me, the probability that Kabuto runs into evil is lower." Orocchimaru said with a serious look on his face.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Fufu… You don't trust Uchiha Itachi's power?"

Sasuke kept silent.

Itachi, who had been resurrected by Kabuto's Edo Tensei no Jutsu, had fought against Kabuto to dispel this jutsu. That time, he had used Izanami on Kabuto. This jutsu made him look at himself over and over again, so that it wouldn't dispel until he accepted himself.

However, for Sasuke, who had seen how strong he was, it was hard to imagine how Kabuto had broken out of that Izanami.

"Despite appearances, even Kabuto had a person with whom he shared a bond. That probably became the guide that dispelled the jutsu."

"A person with whom he shared a bond?"

"Right. She's the woman who rescued Kabuto when he was a war orphan."

Sasuke, who didn't know about Kabuto's past, was surprised by this.

"At the beginning she was a Konoha shinobi, and then she was enrolled by the 'Root', and she became one of the elite of the Intelligence Division. For someone from the 'Root', she possessed an integrity that which you could even call unusual… But she left the 'Root', and went working in an orphanage. Kabuto was there."

"Kabuto wanted so much to be helpful for her and this orphanage, and he had been dragged into the war. But his fate was sealed when he caught my eyes."

Orochimaru said this without flinching.

"As a result, Kabuto was burdened with Konoha's darkness, and it was arranged that he would kill her, whom he loved dearly and looked up to, with his own hands. From there on, he became my faithful subordinate. He managed to do any filthy thing with composure. However, when later on he gathered up and used all those well-known shinobi for the Edo Tensei no Jutsu, apparently he didn't try to get in contact only with her. He could have used her power as a shinobi as much as he liked. Maybe Kabuto's feelings as a human were all condensed there."

 _—He looks like my past self._

His older brother's voice was brought back to Sasuke's memory. Itachi had said this after he put Kabuto under Izanami. Itachi said that both he and Kabuto had been toyed with by the world of shinobi.

 _—I want Kabuto to realize this before he dies, unlike me._

Sasuke hadn't thought that Kabuto and Itachi were similar. Even now, he couldn't think that they were similar.

However, he could imagine that it was for Kabuto a pain that only Kabuto himself understood.

"It hadn't been transmitted to Kabuto, but she always thought about Kabuto, too. Maybe inside Izanami, he became aware of this love of her."

He wondered what kind of path in the world Kabuto would walk on from now on. Probably this woman, who was so important for him, illuminated the way he would go ahead of. Erza had, in the meantime woken up. He thought about the special bond Kabuto had with this woman staring at Erza unconsciously who was yawning and trying to wake up from her sleepiness.

..

"Sasuke?"

He looked around and then at her. She was having a concerned expression. He quickly regained his composure. _'How long was I staring at her?'_

"You were staring at me so intently. Is everything all right?" Erza asked.

"..."

"Yes. He is dear." Orochimaru replied for Sasuke. "... Oh, it seems we have arrived at our destination."

The boat stopped at the coast as they all got down. They could see a huge arena like construct from the coast. Sasuke grew suspicious but kept quiet for the moment.

"Stay close to me." he said turning back to Erza as they walked. The whole path in front of them was very dangerous with mist everywhere blocking his vision. A perfect setting for assassinations. You could never guess what might happen next.

Erza didn't needed to be explained. She came to understand the ways of the shinobi during her travels with Sasuke. As much as she hated to admit, she wasn't good at stealth and it was best to let Sasuke deal with it. So, she just nodded and moved closer to him before the voice of Orochimaru filled the air.

"You can relax. I know that this place is illegal and all the illegal dealings are done here but they wouldn't try to rob themselves. This place is safe for illegal activities and they know, they can't risk the trust of the people they deal with, otherwise it wouldn't be so safe anymore."

"What are you hiding, Orochimaru?" Sasuke asked but didn't need an answer as it was given to him. They reached an arena and walked as a rogue shinobi escorted them inside.

A match was already going on between two. Erza could see that they were forced to fight each other and the audience had some betting going on. She turned to look at Sasuke but saw his face was filled with disgust.

"It's like a show, isn't it?" Orochimaru said creeping her up from behind.

"...yeah." she said trying to sound polite. "Who are they?"

"They are all Kekkei Genkai users like our Sasuke-kun here. Whoever wins, his owner gets the other shinobi." Orochimaru said having an amused expression.

"Our target is one of those bastards who are forcing them to fight?" Erza asked as Orochimaru nodded. "Unforgivable. Why don't they revolt?"

"It's an insurance and guarantee to their safety." Sasuke said, keeping his gaze fixed to the match. Orochimaru sneaked to somewhere meanwhile, leaving those two alone.

"Insurance…?"

"In every epoch dissidents appear, and when that happens inhuman powers like ours may be necessary, because there are things that cannot be protected if you only do the 'right thing' and if so is better for both sides if we domesticate well …and If that it's the case, is better for both sides if we are well domesticated…" Sasuke said.

Erza grit her teeth in frustration. "You all are not some lively stock, you know."

"I agree. I never said I shared their opinion. Endure it until we can find Oyashiro En." Sasuke said looking at her. It always surprised him and made him slightly envious whenever he realized how kind Erza was. She had absolutely no relation with them yet she felt anger as they were treated badly. She was a lot similar to Naruto in this aspect. If he were his old self, he wouldn't have even spared a second glance towards things that didn't concern him.

"Will he show up here? Mr. Orochimaru said it himself that he is a weary man." Erza said.

"However, Oyashiro En shows up nowhere but here, 'more or less'. Moreover, he doesn't appear unless he wants the contender." Orochimaru said having his creepy smile going on as he got back.

Meanwhile, apparently the match was being settled. The shinobi who had fought left the arena, and the moderators shouted the names of the following competition out loud.

"Found him?" Sasuke asked Orochimaru.

"NEXT MATCH: The legendary Shinobi who attacked the Five Kage conference and the last of the survivor of Uchiha clan, Uchiha Sasuke vs Oyashiro En's comeback with the undefeated..." the announcement came shocking both Sasuke and Erza.

She immediately reequipped her sword and pointed it at Orochimaru while he stood amused.

"What did you do? You don't know how much he despises this!" Erza said taking a step forward but Sasuke stopped her.

"What is the meaning of this?" Sasuke asked, his eyes narrowing dangerously. He was sure there was some explanation or else Orochimaru wouldn't have taken the trouble to come all the way here if he wanted to get rid of him.

"You know I wouldn't do this if there were no other way of luring him out." Orochimaru said. "Please tell her to point her sword away or I would be forced to take out my Kusanagi as well. You get it, don't you?"

Sasuke knew Erza was strong but she was no match for Orochimaru. Besides, it would just result the mission on a failure. Sighing, "It's all right, Erza. I will end the match and be back right away." he said looking at her with a soft expression. Erza still hadn't seen Sasuke's powers, so as much as she wanted to trust him, she couldn't help but worry.

"Fine. But please be careful." she said backing away. Sasuke had a small smile before he narrowed his eyes, ready to jump into the arena, "I'll end it immediately." saying that, he jumped into the arena.

And as Sasuke had proclaimed, he did end it immediately. Erza was amazed but couldn't see his full abilities as all he used was his sharingan and basic Fire jutsu.

"He can still do a lot more than that." Orochimaru said beside her.

"You knew Sasuke could easily win, didn't you? That is why you didn't hesitate to enter him into the matches." Erza said, talking to the snake sannin beside her.

"FuFu... seems like you found out." Orochimaru said. Then they followed an attendant and met Sasuke who joined them to the meeting place.

"Like I said, have some faith in me, partner." Sasuke said as he smirked.

"Yeah, I am sorry. Great job." she congratulated him. "So... what about the candidate who lost?" she asked having a worried expression.

Sasuke closed his eyes and smirked, "...honestly...you truly are one of a kind", he said in low voice. "He returned back to his owner. Apparently, Mr. Snake guy here only made the deal in exchange for information."

"I heard that." Orochimaru said.

"I did say it out loud." Sasuke retorted.

"Sasuke-san, great job. This way please." the attendant led them to a deserted stand in the arena. Upon reaching there, they saw a slim guy wearing a diamond shaped sunglasses and was surrounded by his two guards.

Apparently, that guy was the renowned richest person in the elemental nations and the former boss of the leader of the Lightening group who were after Erza and the scroll.

Orochimaru greeted the opposite guy like they were old acquaintances.

"Orochimaru-san you meanie. Furthermore, this was the first time I have participated in years, and if he defeats him that quickly I end up looking bad too…"

Although he was complaining, the man was speaking mockingly.

"What can I say? I did tell him to put on a show but his girlfriend became all serious and ordered him to wrap it up quickly." Orochimaru said as both Sasuke and Erza winced slightly.

"Oh... so the great Uchiha Sasuke has a girlfriend. That certainly is a rare news. At least the legendary Uchiha clan survives that way." he said eyeing Erza. "And what more... his girlfriend is another Kekkei Genkai user like himself and a member of the almost extinct Uzumaki clan. I wonder what kind of user their off-spring will be?" he joked as Erza blushed at the prospect of having Sasuke's children.

On the other hand, Sasuke's expression became dark, "Be careful to choose your next words cause they might be your last ones."

"My, my. The rumors are true. He sure is a stoic person." Oyashiro said to Orochimaru.

Sasuke getting to the point, "Tell me all that you know about Fushin, the leader of the Lightening group."

"Since you won, I guess I owe you that much. Originally he was a child from another owner. I won him here, he became part of my group of guards. His birthplace must have been the Land of Water. Although, unlike the Village of the Hidden Mist that is in the mainland, he was from a small island in the outskirts. He was feared by the people of the village, and it seems that they got rid of him at a short age."

"They got rid of him…?"

To Sasuke, who frowned, "Isn't that how it is with kekkei genkai users?" Oyashiro said.

"Things like unique powers bring nothing but fear from the point of view of weak people. Wrongly suspecting him just because he was different, they despised and discriminated him, and in the end they tried to eliminate him. It is as if he was miserable from the moment he was born."

"But I like them you know, the kekkei genkai. You know, they're good because they have a strong, rare feeling, haven't they? That's why I gathered many of them, and accepted them in my group of guards, and to increase their level of rarity, I came to massacre all of them but one several times"

He was completely like a child that talks about his toys.

"There were many kids that were rebellious since birth. If I couldn't have used medical ninjutsu, probably I couldn't have raised them." he joked as Sasuke clenched his teeth. Erza knew Sasuke was barely holding back from lashing out. She was upset herself as it reminded her of the tower of Heaven where she was treated as a slave along with others back then. Those images came to her mind and she decided to give Oyashiro a piece of her mind.

"Don't you have even a tiny bit of humanity left in you? You talk as if they are some objects, toying with their emotions. You think you are helping them? Screw you! It was probably them showing mercy on you!" she lashed out on him leaving both Sasuke and Orochimaru baffled.

"You are a naive girl, you know that. You think it will be fair if I left them alone. They will probably hunted again. I was the one that protected them and gave them shelter and food. They would rather stay with me than listen to words especially from your group. Also Orochimaru-san, who's cooperating with you, came in possession of rare people here. Did you help those people? Why am I even saying it to you? You are also a Kekkei user, so you must know it."

This statement made Erza stare hard at Orochimaru who had a sweat run down his temple. _'This woman surely is troublesome just like that Kyuubi brat... meddling into affairs that doesn't concern them. Why did Oyashiro have to point it out?'_

"You know? I think this from the point of view of the victims, the disinterested people are the same as the wrongdoers. Those who didn't help them are the same as me. So, you all equally guilty in their eyes." Oyashiro said justifying himself. "Your boyfriend here is no different. He had used others in the past for his goals. How is my hobby a bad thing and what he did a good thing, huh?"

Erza became silent as he continued, "And now, you too will go away without stopping this hobby of ours that we practice here. How aren't you an accomplice? Look who's talking."

Sasuke became silent as his partnership with Erza was at jeopardy. But that was only until Erza opened her mouth.

"...He has changed his ways." she started as her hair covered her eyes. "He is on a path of atonement, punishing the evil doers like yourself. He is nothing like you. Thanks for the advice though, Oyashiro." she said turning back and facing Sasuke who was wide-eyed. Sasuke nodded his head after regaining his composure and unsheathed his katana.

"You said that we aren't doing anything about it, right?" she said. Oyashiro panicked as he saw Sasuke knock out his two body guards. The security there started running towards them as Orochimaru and Erza took them out instantly.

"Next are the prisoners, Oyashiro." Sasuke said, pointing his katana at him.

"Why are you listening to that girl's commands?" Oyashiro asked infuriated. Erza watched it through the corner of her eyes, curious of what Sasuke would say.

"It's true I don't like to be ordered around. But no one can order me around unless you are the dobe or her. She is just like the dobe, who is my one and only friend. Like him, she has also become my closest friend. She is different. You can never understand it." Sasuke said activating his Kekkei genkai. He didn't think of her that way until she made that declaration about him and accepted him for who he was. He just spoke his mind at the moment. Oyashiro was baffled before his sharingan knocked him unconscious.

A few hours later, all the concerning authorities were captured and all the fighters were confined to an area. Sasuke contacted Yamato who was close by and asked him to call Konoha to take custody of them and decide what to do with them later-on.

Yamato and some back-up reached the place after some time and Sasuke handed them over to him.

He entrusted the shinobi he had rescued to Yamato, and although he had stiffened,

"Leave it to me. They will be in Hidden cloud village's care as Rokudaime suggested." Yamato answered reassuring the Last Uchiha.

"Thank you. Take care of them as they could have been very well be me." Sasuke answered as Erza stood beside him. Orochimaru stood at the back, not wanting anything with the conversation.

The shinobi thanked them and left with Yamato whereas the authorities were carried away by the back-up.

The last words of Yamato played in his head. 'You have turned a new leaf, Sasuke. I am sure Naruto would be happy to hear this success of your rescue mission.'

But the credit for freeing them wasn't entirely his. Half of the credit belonged to Erza. Trying to turn a new leaf with the help of a certain red head. Doing so, he actually felt the bonds, and he instinctively remembered Naruto's figure. He was a shinobi that came to grow by leaning in many people. He wondered until where did Naruto's "world" spread, and what kind of scenery spread out in the future that Naruto aimed at. Above all in this way, when he was travelling around world, nothing but the darkness of people caught his eyes whereas Erza showed him the slimmer ray of light she could find in others.

But he could not afford to stop yet. He must continue on his current journey with the red head as the thief was still hiding out somewhere with the scroll of Dimensions that would take them to a magic land filled with fantasies.

* * *

 **And cut.**

 **Please leave a review on what you thought about this chapter and I apologize in advance if there are any mistakes.**

 **Until then, later!**


	6. Chapter 6: Return to Konoha

**Chapter 6:** **Return to Konoha**

 **Hey guys, I was busy with Exams which got finished two days ago. So, hopefully you can expect more updates from me on this fic.**

 **I saw the Naruto Shippuden episodes 484-486. It seems like they missed a lot of things from the Novel like missing Shinobi. Anyways, the animation of it was good compared to the normal episodes and damn, Chiyo calling Sasuke-chan was hilarious.**

 **I regret now having missed out introducing Chiyo and Nowaki. But if I feel like it, I may introduce them later on altering the plot.**

 **Since I have clubbed both Naruto the Last and Sasuke Shinden for the early parts of my fic, I won't be introducing the exploding humans as it will only delay Erza's return to Fiore and the GMG arc.**

 **As always, thanks to nsymina, grither55, cristifilip372, blacknredrose37, M. R. I-401, Katsu Shinshi and reader( x3) for your reviews and those who have read up until this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto or Fairy tail. They belong to their respective owners. I apologize in advance for any mistakes or typos.**

 **And yeah, don't forget to review. If you have any suggestions, you can PM me.**

 **So, continuing without further ado,**

* * *

..

..

The moon seemed a lot bigger now-a-days. Panic was now stricken across the Elemental Nations as debris of moon started raining down on the earth like meteor showers. All the more reason for the thief to gain more comrades inviting many shinobi to escape into another dimension, for a chance of survival against this apocalypse.

The religious cultists who were lurking in the shadows became more active when they noticed the strange anomalies and many people who didn't have any prior faith in god joined them. Humans were such simple beings. When every attempt and hope fails, they all turn towards god hoping that somehow a miracle takes place.

Sasuke never believed in god cause the last time he and his friend worked together, was against the rabit goddess, Kaguya Otsusuki. She was believed to be immortal and possessed massive amounts of chakra where even Kurama's chakra paled in comparison to hers. She possessed deadly techniques where a human can be turned to dust just by a scratch, can summon an entire dimension as per her will.

Her powers and immortality were enough for the masses during her time to consider her as a goddess. That's why Sasuke never believed in gods. All the more reason was he witnessed two of his own clan members become immortal themselves only to die later on. They couldn't have been defeated if they were a god as they had declared. Plus the suffering he went through in his child hood waned of whatever faith he had left in god.

But no miracle can be done by god alone. A man must be present for a miracle to take place acting as the god's agent. And Sasuke believed his friend Naruto was just the right man for the job of saving the entire world again, all the more the reason why he didn't interfere. He did not believe his luck enough for a miracle to occur. If anyone could make it happen, it was Uzumaki Naruto.

After their recent adventure in the coliseum, Sasuke and Erza resumed their journey for finding the thief, who was now identified as Fuushin, leader of the lightening gang. Oyahiro En had escaped while Erza and Sasuke were freeing the Shinobi. It's not like he could cause any more trouble. He would most probably stay hidden, plotting for revenge against Erza if not far worse as she was responsible for the ruining of their precious practices in the coliseum.

But even he wouldn't dare to make a move as long as Sasuke was beside her. Orochimaru returned to his hide out whereas they headed out for Land of water, Fushin's birth place.

Sasuke looked back to see Erza trying hard to maintain her appearance. She was trying too hard not to show her exhaustion if Sasuke could say something on that matter. Letting out a sigh,

"Why don't we take a break?" Sasuke said as he watched the red haired beauty frown.

"I am not tired... let's not stop here," she said as she adjusted her white cloak given to her. "The sooner we catch the thief, the sooner it will be all be resolved."

Stubborn Woman. "You may not be but I am tired, why don't we take a break?" he said as he sat on a rock not waiting for an answer.

She too sat down on a rock beside him after admitting defeat. "Fine. If you say so, we have no choice then."

She took out a strawberry cake which she got in the recent village they were passing through as Sasuke opened and started eating his favorite, Rice Onigiri. She silently observed the raven haired teen beside her before she turned her gaze to the now complete moon, which appeared awfully big.

"The moon seems a lot bigger, doesn't it?" she asked as Sasuke looked up as well.

"So you noticed it, huh?" Sasuke said, gazing up the moon for a few moments before he got back to his onigiri.

Erza continued to look at the moon, wallowed in her own thoughts. "...nakama, huh?" she whispered.

"What?" he asked, looking at her to see her completely absorbed.

"The moon... what do you think when you look at it?" she asked, turning her head towards him.

He looked towards the moon again as he thought about it. The moon was constantly linked up in his life. He used to constantly stare at it when he was younger after the massacre as he watched his sadness reflect on it. The whole clan massacre had happened on a full moon night as well. To sum it up, he was not too fond of the moon. But the irony as he calls it, the Rikkudo Sennin gave him the powers of the moon, the yang part of his powers.

"What do I think, huh? I am not sure on how to answer your question," Sasuke bent his head down, and got back to his favorite dish after a few moments of silence.

Erza just had a sad smile before she looked at the sky, "The moon for me symbolizes the bonds I think that I had made in my life. I always think of myself as the moon and my nakama as the stars surrounding me. Even though I may have forgotten about them, just like how far the stars may seem away from the moon, they are that much closer to me. Their smiles still exist in my heart along with the bonds I had with them. I am sure it's the same for them as well."

The perspective seemed ridiculous to Sasuke, "How can you be so sure? Did you remember your friends?"

"I did not. It's just a feeling that I have." she replied.

Perhaps Sasuke cannot really understand it. He had given up on bonds and this whole journey was also for him to confront on his feelings about them and on how to proceed next, and what his courses of actions would be in the future. He was still uncomfortable on that topic as the only real bond he had in the past ten years was with his two brothers, one with Itachi and one with Naruto. After Itachi died, he desperately tried to cut off his last bond with Naruto to realize his dream. If Naruto were left alive and he had carried on with his revolution, his enemies in the future may target Naruto and most probably kill him.

He would then fall to darkness again, which kind of negates everything he would have had done for the revolution. He didn't want the hatred to be dispersed as it did for his brother. So, better to kill him before he would regret it later. Of course, he realized that would have been foolish and it would have been impossible to do it, remaining all alone for eternity while keeping your sanity. He was glad Naruto stopped him and showed him the error of his ways.

Even though he realized the importance of bonds during his fight with Naruto, realizing he was all alone and regretting what he had done mid way through, he was still too skeptical with forming bonds with others. The red head just seemed that compatible and their mutual goals and sharing similar burdens kind of helped Sasuke in forming a bond with her. But he didn't know on how to label his bond with her, as the only bonds he was familiar was of brothers and he didn't know if he considered her a friend like he did with Naruto. But he did feel some pain whenever he saw her getting hurt, so maybe kind of like with Naruto.

Deciding to humor her, "The moon..." he started as she looked at him with a surprised expression, blinking that Sasuke had decided to answer a question, "From your perspective, the bonds surrounding me may seem so near like the bonds I had with my brother, my father, my mother and my clan. But in truth they are that far away from me as I can never have those back... It reminds me of solitude."

Erza after listening to his answer looked at her cake after a few seconds, "We look at the same thing and yet our answers are so different." she chuckled lightly. "I am sure that we all have our share of sadness and happiness. There's just something wrong with this world. Even so, we have to continue to live in it."

"You are quite the optimistic, aren't you?" Sasuke said smirking a little.

Erza decided to ask him about something that was on her mind ever since they left the coliseum. "You said earlier in the coliseum... 'Only the dobe or she can order me around.' What did you mean by that and who is this dobe?"

As soon as she asked this question, some silence reigned over. Sasuke's bangs covered his eyes as he pondered over her question. Why did he say that indeed? Deciding to answer her last question first,

"I guess it has to do with that you shared a similar burden like me and this 'dobe' you asked about. I am not sure why I said it as I, myself am unclear about it." Was what he wanted to say, but retreated to a simple answer, "You know the pain solitude brings just like Naruto and I do."

"You said that you suffered a lot like me. You even checked my memories which I remembered with your _sharingan_. Apart from that you are the last survivor of your clan and your clan was somewhat unstable, I don't really know much about you." she said, looking him in the eye without batting an eyelash. "And you said that your friend had saved you, but saved you from what and who is he?"

Sasuke just gave out a small smile, not a smirk but a smile, which was rare enough as far as Erza knew. He brought his two hands together, his bandaged and normal one and interlocked his fingers and rested them on his knees. "The dobe, huh?" He chuckled a bit. Having to tell his experiences made him feel like an old man, but he continued nevertheless,

"He was my only friend. A shinobi who knew the same pain as me. An honest and straightforward ninja who did not bend the truth." Sasuke paused, as he let the memories sink. His voice was choked slightly, as he cleared his throat and spoke again. "...on countless occasions, I tried to shake him off. And yet, without giving up and without abandoning me, in the face of inevitable death, he held out his hand. We planned to settle our disputes, and chose the Valley of the End. I was defeated."

"We saw the radiant morning sun and shared the feeling of pain in our chests. I will never in my life forget that day." He said, eyeing Erza who was listening with wide eyes.

He continued after letting her take in the information, "Uzumaki Naruto. That's the name of this friend, the dobe that I have been saying about. ' _The thing I want is for all ninjas to cooperate! Including you, of course!'_ is what he said. Naruto had his own world where he wanted the world to become just like us. I desired its existence."

"But, that kind of a world is hard to manifest. It's just impossible."

Sasuke gazed at her, considering her argument, "That is exactly why he wants to make it a reality. And, it is that warmth feeling that keeps me connected to the village. That's what I have been doing for the past two years. To support the world from the shadows just like my aniki, and..." he paused a bit, taking in some breath. He was talking straight for two minutes regarding the most important topics to him after all.

"And?" Erza leaned in, prompting for him to say.

"And, look beyond this world into the light. I was lucky as I got to meet you on this journey. You reminded me one of the important things that I had forgotten," he said as she blushed at the last part and looked away. Meeting her had made him realize the importance of forming bonds and how lonely the path of isolation would have actually been.

Erza was then lost to her thoughts. Having just heard from Sasuke about how he set out on his journey, she was reminded of someone from her past, but did not remember who it was. Someone dear to her, but did not think further on the matter.

"I think you are a good man. I don't know what your crimes might have been, but from what I have seen so far, I can say that you can be kind in your own way." she said finally speaking up.

Sasuke's eyes were shadowed by his bangs. "...Thank you."

"You surely regard your friend very highly. I would love to meet him." she said trying to change the mode of topic.

Sasuke just smirked standing up, "When this is all over... but don't be disappointed when you do."

Erza let out a small laugh as she got up. "I'll try not to."

..

Shortly after resuming their journey, they halted. A battered old man walked towards them before he stopped and looked at them. They couldn't discern his identity due to the darkness of the night. Just then a debris of the moon made its way through the sky illuminating the scene around them for a split second revealing the old man before them.

He had long, black hair. He wore a very traditional, loose fitting robes with a long-sleeved, brown haori. The most important feature of him were his white pupils which Sasuke recognized immediately.

The Byakugan.

The man in front of them was Hyuga Hiashi, the head of the Hyūga clan. But what was he doing so out here, somewhere far away from konoha? And he was completely beaten up. This made Sasuke to bite his lip in annoyance as he watched the proud Hyuga head collapse in front of them.

 _'Something had happened while I was away on this mission. His injuries are serious as well, guess I don't have much choice...'_

He went and bent near the body of Hyuga and examined his injuries while Erza stood beside him.

"Erza... looks like you will be meeting the dobe sooner than we thought." Sasuke said looking up.

"...huh?!"

..

* * *

"Six' o clock, it is the largest till now having the size same as that of the whole Konoha," the assistant of the Sixth Hokage shouted looking through the telescope.

The sixth hokage, Hatake Kakashi and his rival, Might Guy were at the top of the Hokage Monuments with a small camp behind them. Yamanaka Ino, one of the class mates of the academy which Naruto and Sasuke attended was relaying the messages from other Five Great Nations.

Guy was on a wheel chair after having his leg broken beyond repair which was impossible even for Tsunade, who was considered as one of the best Medical Ninja alongside Yakushi Kabuto, one of the former war criminal of Forth Great Ninja war and her student, Haruno Sakura who still had some way to go before she could reach the same potential as her master.

Kakashi was the sensei of the team 7 which had Uzumaki Naruto, the savior of the world, Haruno Sakura, renowned as the next Tsunade and Uchiha Sasuke, the last survivor of the most powerful clan in the Elemental Nations alongside Senju. His appearance remained largely the same following the Forth Shinobi world war, except for a red armband on his left bicep, boots instead of sandals, and Konoha's redesigned flak jacket. The kanji meaning _Six Fire_ is written on the back, denoting his Hokage position.

He accepted the Hokage position from Tsunade after the war as he was elemental throughout it and was the leader during the sealing of Kaguya, the most powerful being. He was also responsible for the release of Sasuke from his interrogation and revoked his status as a Konoha Shinobi.

Naruto was away from the Konoha at the moment as he was sent to find out about the whole apocalypse of moon falling alongside Shikamaru as their group in-charge with Sakura, Hinata and Sai as well. He was unaware of the fact that Naruto and the rest were on the moon currently.

All the citizens were evacuated to bunkers led by Tsunade, the former Fifth Hokage as soon as the Meteor showers had started. As of now, the whole Konoha was empty while few stayed behind to avert the destruction of the village from the incoming debris.

As soon as his assistant had warned him off the incoming meteor towering the entire Konoha, he looked at it having already dealt with a few meteors which came before it. He had already devised a strategy for this and was sure it would work this time as well.

He folded his hands as he commanded his men, "Everyone, storks wing formation."

A specialized group of Taijutsu users at least capable of opening first few gates, jumped towards it hoping to destroy it before it reached Konoha. Rock Lee was leading the group as he was the direct disciple of Guy, who was the master of opening eight inner gates and the only one to survive after opening all of them courtesy of Naruto. Rock Lee could open up to six gates and he was at the center of the storks wing formation.

As the group confronted the meteor maintaining their connection all the way through clad in the green aura, the group spread about the meteor striking it with their fists hoping to destroy it completely in a single blow. As the battle of dominance occurred between them and the gravity pushing down the meteor, Lee delivered the final decisive punch hoping it would take out the meteor.

" **Sixth Gate of Joy: Open**." he punched destroying the lower half completely as the storks wing went through the meteor. Due to the slight miscalculation, the upper part of the meteor which wasn't destroyed slid over them and was headed straight for where Kakashi and Guy were.

"Oh no." Lee could only look back with regret as the momentum carried them further away from the meteor making it impossible to chase it mid air. Kakashi stared the charging meteor which was illuminating the black night as it was clad in fire due to the gravity and the air's combustion around it giving it a rather dangerous momentum, threatening to level the entire Konoha if it were to crash onto the surface. The storks' wing formation had succeeded in at least lowering down the momentum but it was still nowhere enough.

Kakashi had a grim look as his mind was processing quickly on what to do next. The gate's attacks were strong enough but it failed this time due to the sheer size of the incoming meteor and Guy could not be counted on due to the handicap. Sure, he could still use his chidori despite losing his sharingan but it requires a lot of chakra to destroy something that big if he were hoping to obliterate it completely.

The meteor almost reached them to the point where they could feel the hot air around it, giving minor burns to the skin. He set his mind and was about to make some move before he heard the distinctive chirping sound of birds even ad-mist the incoming meteor with its own sound of descending, the Chidori which only one other person could use.

Before his mind analyzed any further on who it was, a figure sped past him and slammed the chidori at the center of the meteor. Multiple flashes occurred across the whole rock as it was completely covered with blue lightening. Then it was completely destroyed, blew apart causing an explosion like they had initially intended leaving no trace of it, the explosion in the air covering the entire Konoha defending it from further chipped off parts. It produced a gust of wind enough to even shake the entire structure of the Konoha.

Everything was a stand still for Kakashi after wards as he heard a voice clearly despite the explosion. His eyes widened as he faced the back of the cloaked figure in front of him.

"... you are..."

"If he's not around, the only one who can protect the village..." the cloaked figure turned around showing his sharingan in his right eye and Rinnegan in his left as the air blew the bangs covering his left eye, "... is me." he said before completely vanishing from there.

"...Sasuke!" Kakashi finished as he saw his student flicker away as soon as the explosion died.

"The meteor completely disappeared." Guy said looking around trying to figure out what just happened.

"Lord Sixth!" one of his guards present at the time shouted.

"What is it?" he asked turning around before taking a step back at finding a bruised Hyuga head set near Ino. "Hiashi!"

..

* * *

 _A couple of moments earlier;_

Sasuke carried the bruised Hyuga on his back.

"Erza, stand back!"

She did as she was instructed. He focused his chakra into his left eye hoping to pull off the teleportation over a large distance. The Rinnegan flared into life having the three tomoe surrounding it. A blue vortex opened and it remained stable as he shut his left eye.

When Erza heard that he was going to open a portal, she couldn't help but wonder if it was possible for Sasuke to open a portal directly to her world. If it was possible, then why was he hiding the information regarding the possibility. She wanted to ask him about it, but even she understood the situation as Sasuke bore a serious look. Apparently the guy he was carrying on his back was someone extremely important in his village. So, she thought she might ask him later on it.

She also wondered if Sasuke would be alright returning back to the village as she heard from Taka, he hasn't been back to the village even once since he started his journey.

"...Sasuke. Will you be alright?" she asked as he stood in front of the portal.

She got a reply after the said man bent his head down before saying, "I will be fine. Let's go."

Then she jumped into the blue vortex following Sasuke. It wasn't as crazy as the portal she was teleported through. It was just instantaneous as she was already standing in front of a huge gate where the entire village was surrounded by the walls.

"There is no security guarding the gate." Erza pointed out as a frown appeared on his face.

"The situation must be really dire than I thought it would be." he mumbled to himself before speaking up. "We must hurry up or else this guy is dead." he said suggesting the man he was carrying on his shoulders.

They sprinted across the streets of the deserted Konoha before reaching the town's medical center. They entered to find that it was deserted as well.

"I wonder where everyone might have gone." Erza said bringing her fingers to her chin.

Sasuke looked around before replying, "They must have been evacuated. Let's hurry up, I still sense some people around in the village."

He pointed to the top of the stone faces as Erza saw, six in total. "Some people are over there on the top of it."

"How will we get up there?" she asked. But before Sasuke could reply, the entire place got heated up as some light shone upon them. They looked up to see a huge meteor falling towards the village they were in and some huge bird which was clad in green aura confronted it in mid air. But it was only successful in destroying the lower half as the upper half slipped past them threatening to level the whole area.

"We must do something or we are toast!" she shouted as she looked around to find Sasuke but he was nowhere to be found. She looked up to see him leaping onto the forth stone face before jumping onto the top of the cliff. As the meteor drew closer, she was barely able to see him jump towards it having a blue lightening attack on his right hand before the entire meteor was destroyed by the attack causing a huge explosion.

'Is that really Sasuke... was he really this strong?' she wondered as she braced herself against the gust of the wind that was produced. She looked up to see no existence of the meteor remained. 'No trace of it... just how strong is he?'

She found few stairs leading to the top and started climbing them.

..

* * *

 _Few minutes Later;_

Sasuke looked up to see the other debris surrounding the ring of the moon destroyed by multiple flashes in the sky.

"What was that just now?" he asked as a figure approached him.

The figure looked up, "It's the Raikage's transportation chakra cannon."

"Hokage-sama! The five kage conference is starting." a woman ran towards them.

Kakashi nodded, "I'll be there in a minute." he then turned towards Sasuke, "Would you like to accompany me?"

"I am fine with where I am and the Raikage won't be too pleased either." he said as he observed a red head being blocked by the guards. "I need to get going before the guards over there are toast." he said walking away.

Kakashi got the meaning of what he implied when he saw Erza knocking down few guards with her head. "Sasuke!"

Sasuke stopped in his tracks momentarily waiting for what he had to say.

"Stick around in the village for a while and don't run off again." Kakashi said before walking away with his assistant. "I would like to discuss about your current mission when this whole moon thing is over."

Sasuke also walked away before giving his answer. "Yeah... I'll try to."

He walked to see three guards knocked unconscious by Erza before she caught the forth one by his collar,

"Where is Sasuke?"

"Why should we tell you lady?" the guard said before Erza head butted him knocking him out cold. She then moved to other guard and repeated the same thing.

Sasuke just sweat dropped. "Seems like your questioning methods are a little out of place."

Erza dropped the guard she was currently holding as her eyes widened. She immediately whirled around and her eyes softened when she found him standing casually at the entrance of a tent.

"Yo." he casually waved his hand.

The other guards got up in the mean time. "Don't worry. She is with me." he said assuring the guards.

"She is just like the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero." one of the guards said as others ended up agreeing with him. "Please keep her under control, Sasuke-san." they said as they made their way to the medical camp groaning out in pain and limping.

She made her way towards him and jabbed her finger at him. "Where did you run off to, wandering around, leaving me all alone?" she accused him with a scowl on her face.

Sasuke was surprised to find that she was upset that he left her alone. Now that he thought about it, he did not leave her side even once since she entered this world, so he thought it was only natural that she was upset.

"I am sorry as I had to destroy a huge object which threatened to wipe us all... hope you can forgive me!" he said with a hint of sarcasm as he brought his two hands together bowing down in front of her and closed his eyes.

Erza just huffed and crossed her arms, "Do you promise not to leave me alone like that anymore?"

He opened his one eye to look at her. "I promise."

"Okay then, I forgive you." she said unfolding her arms. She then reached his right hand and grasped it in her left hand.

Erza noticing Sasuke's confused expression. "I know that you jumped away to destroy that meteor but it seems that you forgot that I cannot leap on objects like you do. This is your punishment for your earlier stunt and for not returning back." she explained as Sasuke chuckled a little at her accusation but made no attempt to draw back his hand.

"Fine. But don't be embarrassed when people start having weird thoughts when they see us holding hands." he said as steam erupted from her head.

"I won't be." she muttered. It only got worse for her when people started whispering when they saw those two holding hands, as they made their way towards the temporary medical camp that was set up. She blushed heavily when she heard few suggestive whispers and looked at Sasuke to see how he was faring. She was disappointed and pouted as Sasuke had a blank face until they made their way inside the camp towards Hiashi.

Hiashi looked at Sasuke as he lay on a bed, "...thank you." he muttered weakly as Sasuke nodded.

The cloth covering the tent's entrance was flipped over and Kakashi entered alongside his assistant.

"Hiashi! You asked for me?" he asked before rolling his eyes at Erza and Sasuke but did not say anything.

"Do not destroy the moon..." Hiashi managed to say as Sasuke's eyes widened.

 _'They planned on destroying the entire moon..._ ' Sasuke thought as he clenched his left hand.

 _-What do you think when you look at the moon?_ that voice played in Sasuke's head.

"... Hinata and Hanabi are still on that moon." he finished as Kakashi had the same reaction as well.

"What?!" Kakashi said.

"Bad news!" his assistant ran towards him. She was panicking currently.

"What is it?" Kakashi asked.

"The nine tails was spotted on the Lunar surface." she informed.

Erza felt the Sasuke's grip on her hand tighten further as he had a serious look on his face. She understood the reason when she heard Naruto's name through Kakashi.

"So, that means Naruto and the rest are on the moon?" Kakashi asked but it was more like a statement. "Let us go and talk with the Raikage and ask him to hold off the cannon for some time."

Saying so he rushed out leaving both Sasuke and Erza alone with Hiashi for the moment.

"Who is Hinata and Hanabi?" Erza asked Sasuke. Her question was answered by the injured man in front of her,

"They are my daughters." he said as tears filled his eyes. Sasuke gritted his teeth before he went outside dragging Erza alongside him as she refused to let go of his hand.

His gaze was fixed at the moon before he inhaled deeply relaxing himself.

"Is your friend going to be alright?" Erza asked with a worried expression.

He looked at her before his eyes softened. He could not believe that he was getting the girl beside him worried. "Don't worry... I may have acted on impulse earlier but nothing can actually kill the dobe. He is just that tough. He will somehow pull through this, we just have to wait and see." he said trying to comfort her.

..

* * *

"Please hold off the chakra cannon for a while." Kakashi said as he faced four monitors each transmitting live video feed from the other four great nations. "Naruto and other are still on that moon."

"They cannot be helped. They must sacrifice for the sake of humanity and earth." The Raikage said. "We are going to shoot the transportation Chakra cannon."

"Mr. Raikage!" Gaara, the fifth Kazekage interjected.

"What is wrong?" Raikage asked.

"I will ask you to wait for one hour." Gaara suggested.

"What?" Raikage couldn't believe what he heard.

"I agree." Mei, the fifth Mizukage joined Gaara.

"Mizukage!" the Raikage shouted.

Mizukage closed her eyes, "Naruto is a hero in the last ninja war. His life is worth the stake."

"Tsuchikage." Raikage turned towards him to gain some support but the Tsuchikage remained silent. He then looked at Kakashi.

"Just one hour. But for them it will be the amount of time for with a lifetime that will never be replaced." Kakashi asked.

"Based on what is it?" Raikage asked not understanding why others put so much faith in Naruto.

"Hunch."

..

* * *

 _Mid way through Naruto and Toneri's battle;_

Kakashi stood perplexed at what he was seeing. The others were no different. Guy, Tenten, Ino and Lee bore a similar kind of expression. Hiashi looked worried. He could not rest while his two daughter's lives were at stake.

"What is that?" he asked as he was able to see faint line across the moon. His assistant looking through the telescope informed him,

"Moon!" she shouted. "The moon has separated!"

Kakashi unfolded his arms immediately as it sounded impossible. The whole moon being split in half seemed outrageous. Kakashi concluded that the opponent Naruto was facing was not an ordinary one as splitting the moon into two is ordinary feat and he might need all the help that he can get.

 _'Looks like I have no choice but to send Sasuke.'_

..

..

"Time is over. Shoot the cannon!" the Raikage ordered Killer Bee.

A huge ball formed at the tip of the cannon before it was discharged.

"What's wrong?" the Raikage asked getting enraged.

"I cannot shoot at Naruto." Killer Bee said.

The Raikage made his way towards the launcher pad. "Hold your feelings inside you. The earth's life depends on it. Step aside, let me shoot the cannon."

"Raikage-sama, there is something written on the moon." one of his attendant said.

"What?"

He made his way through to the telescope and looked through it.

"...this is..."

..

..

Sasuke had a smirk on his face as he looked through the telescope that was isolated and set aside near the camp.

"That Naruto! Making the Kyuubi do all sorts of things. I cannot believe he made it write something like that on the surface."

"Is something wrong with this 'Kyuubi' writing on the moon?"

"Kyuubi is actually a nine tailed fox demon that was sealed inside Naruto. It also knew nothing but Hatred until Naruto befriended it. I believe his name was Kurama." he said as he stepped aside to let Erza watch through the telescope.

She gasped a little when she saw a Nine tailed fox which was clad in a yellow aura all around it write something on the surface of the moon. "It really is true. He is quite big if I compare it to the people beside him." she said.

"EMERGENCY NEWS TO THE WORLD: THE MOON HAS STOPPED. I REPEAT THE MOON HAS STOPPED. THE APOCALYPSE HAS BEEN DIVERTED. THANKS TO THEIR EFFORTS OF SHIKAMARU, SAKURA, SAI, HINATA AND NARUTO. EARTH AND IT'S FUTURE IS SECURE." a voice bore through their head.

'Must be Ino,' Sasuke thought about the Yamanaka girl. He was impressed that how Ino was now able to transmit the message to the entire world even if she was using an amplifier. It was no small feat.

"Sasuke-san!" a voice called out to them as they turned. "Hokage-Sama wants to see you now."

"Inform him that I will come in a minute." he said nodding to the guard who took his leave. He then looked down to see Erza still holding his hand as she stared at the beautiful moon. He could bet that she even forget that she was holding his hand and the reason for it.

"Erza." he said as she turned her attention to him. "While I am perfectly okay with you holding my hand, don't you think the punishment has been dragged out for a long time. I mean, I have to meet the hokage and it is in his nature to get funny ideas. So, if you can..."

"Of course!" she said immediately releasing her hold on his hand as a blush adorned her cheeks. "...Let's go."

They made their way to a tent having few guards watching the entrance. After the routine inspection, they made their way inside and were standing directly facing Kakashi as he sat behind his desk.

"I am sorry for not making your acquaintances earlier, my name is Hatake Kakashi and I am the Sixth Hokage of this village. Pleased to meet you." he said extending his hand to Erza who shook it after a second.

"I am Erza Scarlet. Pleased to make your acquaintance as well." she said firmly shaking his hand causing him to raise an eye brow but made no comment.

"Sasuke. I heard about the Coliseum and Erza-san through Yamato and I am pleased to know that you have rescued them. Good work on that." he said as Sasuke only nodded.

"Half of the credit belongs to Erza." Sasuke quickly stated before the discussion went any further. Kakashi was pleased to hear this.

"Oh... Yamato didn't mention that. About the Shinobi you sent to the Raikage, we are offering them freedom to go out if they want or we are offering them sanctuary." Kakashi said trying to get things out before he went to the real matter.

"Good to hear that." Sasuke said having a blank expression. Even if he didn't show it, he was glad.

"So, now onto the main topic, Erza-san... do you remember how you got here?" Kakashi asked as Erza stood shocked. She turned her head towards Sasuke who only reassured her.

"He knows about the whole scroll thing so no need to hide anything." Sasuke said.

"I don't." she said having a sad smile.

Kakashi was quick to comfort her, "Well, you will remember it eventually, so no need to fret about it. We, the Konoha want to help you in sending you back to your world if you want. That, I can promise you." he said as she smiled.

"That's good to hear."

Kakashi then turned towards Sasuke, "So, how much has the investigation been done regarding Fuushin and the scroll?"

"Nothing new since the Coliseum. We were heading out for the Land of Water for further clues before we found the injured Hyuga head."

"Now, that the whole Moon thing is over, why don't you and Erza-san stay in the village for some time. I am sure you both have been travelling non-stop. The thief will be a lot more careful now as the chaos is over, making it impossible to conduct further investigation on him." he said as Sasuke frowned. "Don't be so mad. I am just suggesting you to take a break while I send another team for further clues. If we get any leads, you both will be dispatched immediately."

"What will we say about her identity while she stays in the village?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi grinned mischievously at his question. "What's so funny? Did I just ask something so Illogical that its funny? We cannot let her existence from another world be made public or else-"

"I know what would happen if people found out about her, Sasuke. I had just the perfect idea for covering her identity."

"I am an Uzumaki? Isn't that what you are suggesting?" Erza asked.

Kakashi chuckled. "Nah! Just saying that you are an Uzumaki would invite a lot of unwanted questions. It is a perfect excuse while travelling but staying in a village, I don't think so. I just have something more convincing." he said as Erza and Sasuke looked confused.

"I got this idea when I saw you both holding hands in front of Hiashi." he said. Erza averted her gaze having reddened cheeks but was surprised when she saw a slight fade of pink on Sasuke's cheeks as well.

 _'I thought that he had missed it earlier, that's why he made no comment on it. I should have known him better._ ' Sasuke thought as he glared at his perverted Sensei.

"So, what do you suggest?" he asked sternly.

Kakashi had a mischievous glint in his eye, "Let's just say you both are Husband and Wife." Kakashi said chuckling at their reactions.

Sasuke face palmed. He should have known better from his sensei and Erza groaned,

"Not this again!"

* * *

 **And cut,**

 **It is actually rare for me to go above 5000 mark. Mostly I stop at 4000 but since I hadn't updated for some time, it went up until 7000 words. The length also depends on number of people following this fic.**

 **Keep reviewing and following this fic.**

 **Next chapter has Erza meet up more of Naruto's cast.**

 **Until then, Later!**


	7. Chapter 7: A New Enemy

**Hey guys, I had to update quickly given the number of reviews I got, which is a good thing.**

 **As always thanks to dianadevungding, GaurdianDevil, Infinite_Zero9, Devil's Darklight, sandwich master, grither55, cristifilip372, dimas_vaw , ROXAS, deandy and Guest (x3) for your reviews and those who have read up until this point.**

 **Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto or Fairy tail. They belong to their respective owners. I apologize in advance for any mistakes or typos.**

 **Anyways, continuing on;**

* * *

...

 **Chapter 7:** **A new enemy approaches.**

...

...

"Congratulations, all of you. Good work!" Kakashi said, giving his eye smile to the group in front of him. "Especially you two, Naruto, Hinata. I am proud of you."

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said, grinning as the group stood in front of the desk.

"So, when is the wedding?" The sixth hokage asked as Hinata flushed. Naruto thought about it,

"Oh, there is that too, right? We will probably talk it with her father, dattebayo." Naruto said, giving his thumbs up.

Kakashi smiled before he turned to Sai. "Sai. I need you to write and submit the mission details after this meeting. I also need you send these details to the other villages."

"Hai Hokage-sama!"

"By the way, Kakashi sensei. I noticed a lot of people were whispering something about Sasuke-kun on the way here. Did anything happen?" Sakura asked.

Naruto looked at the pinkette upon the mention of Sasuke and wondered what this was about. He was busy gazing over Hinata on the way here. "Yeah, I forgot. I will have to invite Sasuke to the wedding. He will probably not show up, so I will have to force my hand in the matter." he said particularly to no one. He then turned to Sai, "Sai, could you send a message to Sasuke about the wedding. He will probably be pissed at first for contacting him about something so trivial, but do it anyway."

"Actually Naruto, you can ask Sasuke yourself." Kakashi said.

"What do you mean?"

Shikamaru spoke up, "He means that Sasuke is currently in the village."

"EHHH! SASUKE IS IN THE VILLAGE?! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO KAKASHI SENSEI?" Naruto yelled as Shikamaru muttered 'troublesome.' Sakura seemed to brighten up while Sai had a neutral expression. Hinata, well she didn't care except for the fact that her would be husband just got a lot excited over some guy, so yeah she was worried.

"Wait, Naruto!" Kakashi shouted, barely able to stop the blonde from running out as he was already at the door. Seeing that he had stopped, Kakashi sighed. "He isn't just in the village. Something else also happened while you were away on the mission."

At this Sakura couldn't help but feel uneasy. Naruto wondered what might have happened where as Shikamaru carefully observed his Hokage on what he had to say. Sai left the room in the meantime as he did not have best of the relationship with Sasuke to neglect the order he received just now.

"You see... he did not return alone from his journey." Kakashi said. Sakura's worst fears came true, also probably the reason she offered to accompany Sasuke on his journey in the first place. He probably returned with some woman if the tone of Kakashi was anything to suggest.

"You mean he brought a friend?" Naruto asked, playing dumb. Or maybe not.

Hinata tugged his sleeve, "Ano, N-Naruto-kun. I don't it's just anyone... Hokage-sama means that S-Sasuke-kun brought some woman with him."

"And it is our job to make them feel at home or else they are gonna run away. Isn't that right, Hokage-sama?" Shikamaru filled them in as Kakashi nodded. At this both Naruto and Sakura were still wide eyed, difficult to accept the fact that their team mate was already married or at least in a relationship with a woman. No words came out of their mouth for quite some time and both of them stood slack jawed.

..

* * *

"So it's just us three, huh?" Naruto said, walking in a street having his hands on the back of his head.

"Looks like that, Naruto. Hinata went home to met her parents." Sakura said. She was now really interested in meeting _this_ Sasuke's wife, the woman who supposedly made Sasuke fall for her which she couldn't do since they were 7 probably or, even younger.

If she was someone who Sasuke would be happy with, she wasn't going to interfere with his happiness because that's what is meant by truly caring for someone. But if she used some under handed tactics to force the hand of Sasuke in marrying her, she wasn't going to stay quite.

"You aren't that interested in this, are you Shikamaru? So why exactly are you coming with us?" Naruto asked rather bluntly, but that was his nature sometimes.

"I am just following you in case you both decide to do something stupid, like scaring the shit out of his wife. He will then go rogue _again_ and the same thing repeats over." Shikamaru said in a slightly mocking tone.

Shikamaru was no fool. With the way Kakashi had handed them the news, it was most probably that whoever this _wife_ was, probably not from this village, or a person taking refuge here. That was what he got at first glance. He knew Kakashi was the one who most likely suggested the _idea._ He may look like he took that decision on a whim, but he knew better about his hokage. Maybe, he was afraid Sasuke would feel uneasy at the village due to the acts he did two years ago.

It was no secret that Sasuke was hated in his own village. Many of them were understandably weary of him. Nobody was as forgiving as the blonde who even forgave his parent's killer. People would whisper and stare at him in his own village.

So, it was very likely that he suggested her to act as his wife, most likely to help Sasuke recuperate. A woman may be helpful to ease him back to Konoha. Maybe, a woman's touch was needed. He was brought out of his deductions by Naruto's reply.

"Hahaha...Not funny, Shikamaru. Why would I want to scare her off? I just want to meet this person who was able to melt that cold bastard and inquire where was she hiding the entire time? If only we knew where she was, we wouldn't had to go through that whole shit." Naruto said as Shikamaru chuckled a bit. Looks like Naruto held a bit of dry humor in his answers as well. He was clearly upset at not being invited to his best friend's wedding.

"Yo, Naruto. Did you hear that Sasuke has been married?" Inuzuka Kiba asked, as he arrived at the scene with Akamaru, his trusted dog and Akimichi Choji. "Apparently the whole village has been talking about that since they found out."

"How did they find out?" Sakura asked.

Choji opened his chips pack and started eating as Kiba answered her question. "He apparently carried her to the Uchiha compound in his arms."

"Wasn't that abandoned like, for a long time?" Shikamaru inquired.

"Looks like it isn't anymore. Technically it all belonged to Sasuke anyway. Majority of the other buildings were razed except the Uchiha Mansion in which Sasuke lived when he was little," Kiba answered.

"Naruto, you interested in seeing how she looks as well?" Choji asked, walking alongside the blonde.

"Wait... you guys don't know how she looks too?" Sakura asked Choji and Kiba who shook their heads.

"I believe I heard the villagers say that her hair color was of bright scarlet." Choji said.

Naruto thought for a bit, "Scarlet, huh? You don't say." Very soon realization dawned on him. "Wait- doesn't that mean she is an Uzumaki!?"

"May be." Choji answered the hyper active blonde.

Sakura could only think of one woman with red hair, the one whom she met on the Samurai bridge. "Is her name Karin by any chance?"

"I don't think her name was Karin. Remember, she has spectacles and the one we are talking about doesn't have any," Kiba pointed out. Sakura frowned at this.

"Does that mean there were other Uzumaki's other than Karin who were still alive?"

"Ano Sakura-chan... you got one right in front of you, you know." Naruto whined, poking her arm as a purple cloud formed over his head.

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head ignoring the blonde's comment, "There's no use if we just talk and speculate among-st ourselves. We'll have to go and find out with our very own eyes."

Naruto bumped his fists. "Yosha! Let's head to the Uchiha Mansion then."

..

* * *

The group of five plus a dog walked through the deserted lanes of the newly habituated Uchiha district.

"It really is a ghost town." Kiba said, looking around.

The buildings were reduced to rubble everywhere. Grass and weeds were growing out in some houses. In some places they reached up to their knees. It was like an ancient ruins covered by weed and molasses.

Choji stuck close to Shikamaru. "Shikamaru! I am scared."

"Stop holding my sleeve! What are you, a girl?" Shikamaru uttered in irritation. "Remember, you fought against the ten tails in the previous war and you are scared of walking in a deserted lane."

"Shikamaru... we cannot really fight ghosts. So, what are we going to do if a ghost suddenly pops up?"

"I'll protect you when that happens, Choji!" Kiba declared grinning as Akamaru woofed.

Choji rushed towards Kiba's side. "Thank you, Kiba."

 _'How troublesome... this conversation is getting a whole lot weirder_.' he thought as he looked over to see how Ino's best friend was dealing with this. She had a determined look on her face. _'Great... just what we wanted. Seems like she still isn't convinced that Sasuke has been married. Still, she must have resolved to give up on him by now_.' He looked front to see Naruto mumbling something to himself, probably arguing with Kurama.

Inside Naruto's mindscape;

"I told you, I am not upset." Naruto grumbled, waving his arms at the giant orange colored fox which stood in its magnificent glory. It's nine tails, swinging randomly as it retorted to Naruto.

" **Yes, you are not upset. If truth be told, you are jealous that your friend beat you to it in marriage**."

"No... you are wrong. I am just unhappy that he did not even think it was worth specifying to us about his marriage," Naruto said, looking down for a moment.

" **You are worrying about too much, kid. Though I don't like the Uchiha, he probably had his reasons. He considers you his best friend, in fact his only friend, so he wouldn't dare to do something like this unless he had his reasons. Or, he was married while you were away on the moon."** Kurama said, resting itself as it lied down.

"What!? So you mean to say he was married recently...! Teme, beat me to it then, huh?" Naruto said, biting the collar of his shirt.

 **"Most probably. I am sleeping now, kid. So don't pester me about this for a while**."

"Yeah, you take some rest." Naruto said getting out of the mindscape.

Finding Sasuke's compound was easy. It was the lone standing compound. The irony was dripping strongly here. It was easy to tell even among the destruction here which was Sasuke's compound. The last standing compound just like the last living Uchiha in the Uchiha district. Empty, dark, cold. Exactly like how Sasuke once was. It described the building perfectly.

"Man, I wonder how she lives here?" Kiba said as he got shit scared and jumped onto Choji after hearing a thump sound.

"So, this is the compound, huh?" Choji said as Naruto looked behind. He saw green moss growing in between the cracks of an Uchiha fan symbol. In his last battle with Sasuke, not only Sasuke was able to see through Naruto's memories but the opposite had happened as well.

That crack on the wall was made by a kunai thrown by Itachi 12 years ago. He threw it and was about to kill the clan then and there, if Sasuke hadn't shouted out to his brother. But the next night, the massacre took place anyway. Such sad memories and he wondered if Sasuke would be alright living here. He had a downcast expression as he made his way through the gate.

Naruto and Sakura knew than better. They had to put up their best acting skills. A mask to be precise for their friend. The last thing their friend needs from them was looks of pity sent his way. He would most likely not receive it well, and things might end ugly.

The house was apparently remodeled in the interior, which was good news. They went inside shouting if anyone was present but got no response. After finding that the house was indeed empty, they decided to search elsewhere.

Up until now, they didn't even know whether Sasuke's wife was a kunoichi or a civilian he met on his journey. Either way, they were going to find out soon.

"I wonder where he is?" Sakura thought, as she brought her hand to her chin.

A bulb lit inside Naruto's head. "Guys, follow me. I know exactly where they are?" he said and started sprinting without waiting for others. The rest just looked among themselves before following after him.

"Naruto... where are you taking us?" Sakura stopped midway when she realized the path. "Is this the path to the training grounds?"

Naruto grinned. "Exactly, Sakura-chan. I know Teme and how he thinks. He probably married someone strong if my guess is correct. Since the house is empty, he must have taken her to training grounds."0

"He could have taken her out for eating." Kiba protested as Naruto frowned.

"Sasuke isn't our average guy. There is no way he would do something like that. He wouldn't have even left the house but since its empty, he must have taken her to training." Naruto said, grinning behind his shoulder.

"Trust Naruto on this, Kiba. He knows him more than we do." Shikamaru said.

"I pity the girl if he really took her to do some training." Kiba joked before they reached near the training camp.

 _CLANK - CLANK - CLANK_

Sword clashing sword filled the air. As soon as they reached the open field, they saw a blur of Black and Red before the two figures separated and stood at a distance.

One was their friend, Uchiha Sasuke still wearing his same black cloak. They didn't recognize the second person, so they assumed it was the person who the Hokage told them about, the one who was supposedly Sasuke's wife.

This figure was wearing an armor and a blue skirt along with Ninja sandals. A weird combination to put it into a whole. Though, She had a pretty attractive face to match up with her body.

"Quick guys!" They hid behind the bushes immediately. "Looks like a fight is going on. Let's wait and watch it behind these bushes!" Naruto said as others followed him in tow.

"Dammit... I am jealous of that bastard now. His wife is quite the looker." Kiba said as others silenced him.

"Not bad. Don't mind if I get serious," the calm tone of Sasuke filled the air.

"Please do so," the other figure responded as she summoned another sword in her left hand, fighting dual handed this time. This got Shikamaru to raise an eyebrow as he studied the red head in front of him.

Sasuke held his chokuto in a reverse grip and charged at her. She blocked his attack with her left sword as the two swords tried to dominate each other. Seizing the chance, she swung her right sword at him.

Sasuke noticing this, ducked backwards as he observed the sword slide over his face in slow motion before he flipped backwards. The instant his toes landed, he immediately rushed towards her at an astounding speed Erza couldn't follow. She was just able to bring her left sword up. Sasuke immediately disarmed her left sword with his katana as soon as he was near her and slashed his blade at her left side seeing as she was unguarded there.

Erza quickly summoned another sword in her left hand and blocked his attack. This cause Sasuke's lip to quirk up a bit as he jumped back escaping her counter attack.

"So, you are using your multiple number of blades from your dimension to make up for your lack of speed, huh?" Sasuke said, standing straight.

"Not to flatter myself, but I don't think I lack in speed. In fact, I am quite quick. You are the one who is a freak of nature, so it's only natural I would use two swords." she said, gripping her swords tightly. As soon as a leaf dropped by her, she charged at him.

Sasuke held his sword up to defend against her attack. She jumped high up into the air, throwing a sword at him which he dodged by tilting his head. She then used her two hands to grip the now single sword and launched her attack on Sasuke with full strength, the force of the attack causing the ground beneath Sasuke to shatter as he blocked her attack.

"Hn." Sasuke didn't blink as he blocked her attack single handedly, "I don't even need my other arm to block this attack." Pushing the weight of the sword with his single hand, he took his chokuto in his left hand and attacked throwing the weapon off her which landed in the bushes, narrowly missing Naruto's head.

"Sasuke Teme, you purposely thre-" Naruto's mouth was covered by Sakura as he was about to get up.

"Shhh...Did you forget we were hiding from him. He'll know we are here if you shout, Baka." she whispered, causing Naruto to nod as he sweated.

 _'Damn... Sakura-chan being super serious right now. I wonder what got her so riled up. Could it be because of her...?_ ' he thought as he observed the duel.

Erza equipped two more swords mid air as she blocked the incoming attack of Sasuke.

"As always, impressed with the speed of your sword summoning," Sasuke stated. Though it sounded like he was sarcastic about it, he was actually complimenting her.

Erza got herself some distance as she took support from one of her sword. "Thanks." she muttered as she gripped the hilt of her sword. She lifted her head and blinked when he was nowhere to be seen. ' _Where did he...'_

"Behind you."

Her head snapped back to see Sasuke flickering into view behind her. She just raised her sword in time to deflect his attack which was aimed at her chest, pushing it aside. Narrowing her eyes, she pushed Sasuke away with a roar, releasing massive red magic aura around her.

"Teme Sasuke, what is he trying to do? Is he trying to kill his wife?" Kiba grunted angrily.

"The same could be said about his wife." Choji said, munching his chips.

Shikamaru did not say anything but noticed something strange when she released her magic aura. _What was the energy she just released?_

As Sasuke went backwards flying through air, he gripped his sword in a reverse grip and stabbed it into the ground as he came to a halt and landed on the hilt of it. He immediately jumped sideways to dodge the multiple swords which flashed past the point where he was standing, uprooting the trees behind him.

 _'Che... If this goes on, we might end up destroying the whole area. Who thought she could be so competitive,'_ Sasuke thought as he took out his sword which was stabbed into the ground. ' _Still, I must commend her. She is able to keep up with me without my Sharingan.'_

Erza blinked once more for what seemed like the hundredth time. He vanished from his place where he was standing _. 'Such terrifying speed! If this was a life death battle, he would have sneaked up on me right at the start of the match and finish me off before I could even draw my sword. I mustn't get discouraged!'_ She thought as she instinctively turned around swinging her sword which was met with a clank noise.

Sasuke attacked her with his sword in his left hand in a fluid motion before it was blocked by her right and pushed back. She then immediately charged at him grabbing the opportunity using her other sword, pointing it straight at him.

' _Not good_ , _my attack is drawn back by the previous block. I cannot use my katana to block this attack in time_...'he thought as he moved backwards, just out of her sword range to buy himself enough time until his left hand holding the katana came down. Erza immediately switched her sword with a spear as it pierced through Sasuke's cloak.

"Got you," she smirked as her hair bang fell covering her right eye. As soon as she moved her spear sideways to inflict some form of attack on him to conclude the match, he disappeared into a puff of smoke.

A log was now present which her spear pierced into it. ' _Substitution? Where did he-'_

"It's over, Erza." a cool voice spoke as the cold metal of the katana was pressed against her neck.

Erza straightened up sighing as she sent back her weapons to her space dimension. She could have dragged out the battle even from that point but she didn't feel like it. She is actually very competitive and would never concede defeat until she could no longer move her arms given a spar or a battle. But for some reason, she didn't feel like fighting Sasuke any longer. "I didn't think I would be forced to surrender with you taking my back. Fine, you win."

Sasuke drew back his katana and sheathed it. A smirk played across his lips. "So, you are going to do the cooking while I do the dishes according to our deal." he said as the gang which was sneaking on them had their jaws dropped onto the floor.

"They did the spar to decide that, who would cook and who would do the dishes?" Naruto shuddered as he wondered more on what kind of battles they would have in the future to decide the house chores. He was now silently praying to the god thanking him, thinking how lucky he was getting to marry the timid Hyuga

"Oh... you wanted to do the dishes? I thought you wanted to cook. So, this whole spar was kind of pointless then." Erza said rubbing her head and giving him a smile. This caused everyone over there to face vault.

"It seems that way." Sasuke said, shrugging his shoulders.

 _"YOU THINK!"_ the rest of the gang shouted mentally.

"Come on. Let's go." Erza said as she started walking away.

Sasuke looked around before he narrowed his eyes. "You get going. I'll follow you in a couple of minutes."

She turned around and nodded. "Okay."

Sasuke raised his hand to examine his cloak which was torn in the centre. _'Her skill as a swordsman is really impressive. I ended up using substitution to win, huh?_ ' he thought as he bent his head down a little. ' _Anyway..._ '

"You guys can come out now." he said as his voice filled the air.

After a few seconds, a sheepishly smiling Naruto came out followed by the rest of the gang.

"So you knew we were hiding, huh?" Naruto said rubbing the back of his head.

Sasuke closed his eyes. "I hardly had to try. You guys were loud throughout the spar. Choji was busy munching his chips while he was hiding. You and Sakura got into an argument and the rest of you sat in a bigger group which was easily detectable."

"I don't need to hear that from you, bastard. Just tell us how did you manage to marry a girl? Nonetheless a total hot chick who Jiraya sensei would do anything to lay his hands on her." Naruto retorted. "I always thought you were some kind of gay."

This caused a tick mark on Sasuke's head. "Just because I didn't show any interest in the opposite sex when we were younger, means I am gay unlike you who were trying to peek into some random woman's bath every chance he got," he said as Naruto found no come back but head butted him nonetheless. Seriously, the first thing they do when they see each other after years was get into an argument. Naruto should have known that bastard never wanted to have an emotional moment.

But this eased others up as they were too skeptical on how to approach Sasuke. Since he had gone rogue, the only people who met him were Naruto and Sakura. They did not meet him until mid way through the forth Ninja war where he had already given up on revenge if you put the whole revolution thing aside. Even after the war was over, he was locked up making it impossible for others to meet him. When he was released, he immediately headed out on a journey not even waiting for Naruto, who he did meet of course.

This verbal spat between Naruto and Sasuke relieved others reminding them of the good old days during the chuunin Exams time. They were much more confident now as they could talk to Sasuke like old times, though they didn't talk much during then as well. At least they won't be trying to kill each other off.

"I am still upset you didn't invite me to your marriage." Naruto said huffing and turning around while Sasuke sweat dropped.

"The marriage kind of just happened. Let me treat you to ramen to make it up to you, okay?" Sasuke asked as Naruto's face beamed.

"What about me?" Choji asked as he pushed Kiba aside.

Sasuke sighed. "Even you too, Choji."

Sakura, who stayed surprisingly quiet spoke up. Well, it wasn't that surprising. He knew that she had a thing for him just like Karin but he wasn't sure how he felt about those two. He was sure she would be upset to find out he was married, though he really wasn't, but still wanted to see how everyone would fare against that idea, especially her and Naruto.

"Where did you guys meet?" she asked ridding herself of the sad look. "She doesn't seem from around here, does she?" she concluded.

 _'She must have sensed Erza's magic pressure... you really got me on this one, eh Sakura?'_ Sasuke didn't show it on his face but he was a little nervous thinking on how he was going to cover it up. Thankfully the Nara who stayed quiet and processed things came to his rescue,

"Now, now Sakura. We wouldn't really want Sasuke's wife to be kept waiting. I am sure we all have a lot of questions, so Sasuke..." he said turning towards him before Sakura could protest. "...why don't we come to your home for dinner tonight, huh? You can tell us your story then as we all party." he said.

"The idea sounds good. Right Naruto?" Kiba asked as Akamaru barked in agreement.

"Yeah, it's better than Ramen as we get a lot to eat..." Choji said drooling a little.

Naruto folded his arms, "Guess you all want this more than Ramen, huh?" he mumbled to himself as he got an idea. "Yosha! Why don't Sasuke and I co-host today's night. Hinata will come over to help Sasuke's wife... what was her name again?"

"Erza."

"Erza-chan. Yes, It would be kind of a treat from my side as well as I am about to be married. What do you say, Sasuke?"

"The idea doesn't seem bad, dobe. We'll go with it." Sasuke said as others agreed, well except Sakura who still had a suspicious look on her face.

"Okay, tonight it is then. We'll do it at your place, Sasuke. Your compound's kind of huge enough to accommodate our entire group." Naruto said. He planned to liven the dull atmosphere there.

"Group?"

"You are forgetting about Ino, Sai, Tenten and Rock Lee." Shikamaru reminded him.

"... Don't forget Shino, Shikamaru. If he knows that you forgot to mention him, he will brood forever." Kiba said recalling the Sasuke retrieval mission.

"Okay, then. I'll have to get going. I still have to inform my _wife_ about this _sudden_ party..." Sasuke said looking away as his eye twitched. 'She _isn't going to be too happy about this_.'

He nodded to Shikamaru once more before he flickered away leaving the others.

..

* * *

Sasuke shook his head in regret as he got to the door of his house _. 'Guess there's no going back now, huh?'_

He turned back one final time to look at the Uchiha fan symbol behind him. The one with the crack and green mosses on which Itachi threw the kunai. Sasuke thought it symbolized the current Uchiha position perfectly. Though the cracks could be filled through time, the mark itself can't be completely erased. The crack in this sense was the mark left by the Uchiha's in the previous war and what he was doing now was the act of covering it. The prestigious Uchiha clan turning to dust, crumbling away as the time progressed save for one, well two if he considers his 'new' wife an Uchiha.

He slowly turned the door knob and entered the house. It kind of felt nostalgic to him when he entered the house alone unlike the last time he entered with Erza. The last time he left the house alone was after having a talk with his mother about shuriken training before she gave him his lunch, which was also the last time he talked with his mother. He mentally prepared himself as he stood at the entrance.

Silence reigned over. He dreaded the next few seconds as his heart beat increased dramatically. Sweat started forming on his pale skin as the empty home stared at him on his face reminding him of the horrible tragedy that had occurred. He even forgot that he had made peace with his past and Itachi as the surrounding darkness seemed to drag him into the earth, suffocating him. He felt like he was about to collapse before a cheery voice filled the air dragging him back from the depths.

"Welcome home, Sasuke."

Sasuke blinked as he stared at the red head in front of him who was in a cooking apron wearing mittens and setting a dish on the table. Tears filled his eyes reminding him of his mother as he quickly bent his head down, his bangs covered his eyes. He blinked once more trying to get hold of his tears as he didn't want the red head to see him in a pathetic state. She would not let him live down on that.

He slowly lifted his head as a small smile formed on his face. He took a small step inside speaking,

"I am home."

..

He violently repressed his sudden urge to go and hug her the moment he heard her voice. It wasn't out of attraction or anything, it was as if he could ensure she was real and alive by doing so.

Instead he chose to retire to the new couch which was arranged in his 'home' as he went back and retreated to watching her back. She was chopping the vegetables while humming to herself. She looked so peaceful that way. Maybe taking a break wasn't such a bad idea. He took in this time to note her features. She had her hair tied up in a pony with a blue ribbon and was wearing a yellow apron. When he focused his eyes on what she was wearing inside, he immediately sputtered.

"...Erza."

"Hmm?"

"Why aren't you wearing any clothes underneath the apron?"

She looked down and if Sasuke could comment anything on the matter, she wasn't even the least bit surprised.

"What are saying? I am wearing something inside the apron." she protested turning around. She was just wearing a bra and a short underneath the apron. Where did she find those, he could never understand, or wait... he offered her to wear his mother's clothes. So, does that mean his mother used to wear... NO, He didn't want to think any further and decided to let go of the matter. "And besides it's not like any one's going to barge in and see me in this state."

Sasuke's eye twitched. "What about me?! I am sitting right in front of you if you forgot?"

Erza looked back surprised. "You never even spared a glance to the _woman that_ one time. Remember the one who tried to seduce you, so I thought you didn't care about that sort of stuff," she said having an innocent expression.

"That and this are different!"

Erza thought about it for one more second before she had a mischievous grin. "Ara..." she covered her mouth with her hand as she moved to his side. She started poking the cheeks of the annoyed Uchiha with her finger. "Could it be that you are distracted by my appearance. I never thought the great Uchiha Sasuke could be distracted by something like this..." she teased him further as a faint blush adorned Sasuke's cheeks. He was currently not even looking her in the eye. Erza, for some reason found it cute and couldn't help but tease him more.

"Erza... stop poking me." he asked, trying to sound calm as she now completely had him at her mercy.

"Why, it's fun to see you in a state like this." she said having an innocent expression as Sasuke just grunted in annoyance.

"Erza, I am serious. Stop it now. Or else..." he said in a stern voice but the poking didn't stop.

"Or else what Sasu-"

She let out a kya~ scream before she was pinned to the floor by Sasuke. Her two hands were gripped by his normal and bandaged one as her back was against the rug now.

"Hn. That was cute just now." he said. He smirked as he found the red head blushing. She averted her eyes having a scowl on her face.

"Now go and get dressed. I am going to let go of you now." he said after a moment, as he thought of how a blonde idiot and a white haired pervert may barge in at any moment. He shuddered at the mere thought. He slowly let go of her hands but the instant he released her hands, he was thrown on his back and it was now his turn at being the oppressed. Well, he was caught off-guard.

"The game could be played by two, you know." Erza said, having a smug expression as she sat on his waist.

Sasuke snapped as he picked up distant footsteps. "Quick, let go of me before the wrong person enters." he forgot about the blonde that he was supposed to come early and the position they were in was way too suggestive.

"Who is gonna come in at this time?" she asked but before Sasuke could answer her question his worst fear came true.

"Yo Sasuke. I am back-"

THUD. Naruto dropped the dish he was carrying as his jaw dropped to the floor. His mind froze at finding Sasuke and the new girl with whom he fought on the floor, in a very _lewd_ position. Plus she was wearing nothing underneath the apron, well Naruto thought like Sasuke and Sasuke wasn't having his cloak on either.

Sasuke strained his neck as he looked above towards the door and sighed when he caught the sight of blonde hair. The damage had already been done. Erza just had a frozen expression, her eyes becoming white saucers as cheeks were stained with her hair color. She was currently trembling as her jaw slightly hung down.

"N-Naruto-kun, what's wrong?" Hinata asked making her way to the entrance of the living room before she gasped. She covered her mouth immediately, her face reddening. She fainted after a mere second.

"HINATA!" Naruto shouted as he rushed to the sink and brought and sprinkled some water on her. Hinata got up slowly as Sasuke who was still laid down on his back decided to introduce those two. How could the situation possibly get any worse?

"Erza, meet the dobe and dobe, meet Erza."

..

* * *

 **Unknown Location;**

A grumpy old voice was heard as a group made its way towards a tunnel.

"It's rare even for one of us to be sent on a mission lest the two of us together." a relatively tall, fair-skinned old man with blackish eyes and roughly shoulder-length, wavy, silvery white hair spoke. Majority of his bangs were swept left forward much like Sasuke.

The figure to whom he spoke had two other forms accompanying her, one of them carrying an unconscious Yamato on their back.

"Four of us." the figure carrying Yamato corrected the old man. "And we had to roam for days and when we finally found a clue, this bum refused to spit out any information." The figure was a female having slim figure and sharp eyes and dark colored bangs that slightly hung over her face.

"It doesn't matter as we found out the location we were supposed to find. But it sure was funny as how a guy mistook our mother saying she was an Uzumaki." the other figure giggled. This person was a youthful girl having short pig tails and straight-cut bangs hanging slightly over her face. She had a childlike figure. "And why was he so obsessed with this scroll?" she asked tossing a scroll in her hand.

"Show some respect to your superiors, Heine and Juliet and stop reminding me of that. I need not say what the circumstances would be if you refuse to do so." the figure spoke as Heine and Juliet gulped and muttered a weak 'Aye'.

"So this is where the snake is hiding, huh?" the old man spoke stopping in front of the tunnel.

The figure who had given a warning to 'Heine' and 'Juliet' had stopped as well. This person was a seemingly tall voluptuous woman with large amounts of scarlet hair located in front and back of her body. Also the woman had two U shaped earrings and her over all attire was a scanty version of a typical witch's garb.

"Yes. And this snake will lead us to the Uchiha." the figure spoke looking up from her hat.

* * *

 **And cut.**

 **I am guessing you would have guessed who that figure is. I have a quick question- who do you think would win between the snake and the witch? The next chapter depends on that.**

 **Keep reviewing and following.**

 **Until then, Later!**


	8. Chapter 8: Party at the Mansion

**Hey guys, took some to get this chapter done. I am rushing the plot a bit in this chapter, so spare with me.**

 **I honestly did not expect so many reviews for the previous chapter that it's making me feel regret for not updating sooner *sighs*. Anyways, I already have the next chapter almost done, so no worries about the next update.**

 **As always thanks to ZebraUchiha, nsymina, Deandy, Strife00, dianadevungding, Aloxamax, ROXAS, grither55, sandwich master, Darkzero698, Devil's Darklight, orebekao, Infinite_zero9, Dark Jutten, Rain-XIX, Keampo, cristifilip372 and guest(x5) for your reviews. I felt a lot of inspiration from one particular guest review and Keampo's one. So, thanks for that and to those who put up with me and read up until this point.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Fairy tail. They belong to their respective owners. I apologize in advance for any typos or grammatical errors.**

 **Continuing on;**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Party at the mansion**

 **Orochimaru Lair(One of his Hide Out);**

The group that had arrived from the Earth Land stopped in front of Orochimaru's lair. They didn't find the need to go inside as another group of four stood blocking their path.

The person who stood at the front was none other than Orochimaru, one of the three Legendary Sannin. To his right was Suigetsu and his left was Juugo. Karin stood at the back.

The other group had Irene Belserion standing at the front with Heine taking her right and Juliet taking her left. August stood at the back. Both the groups stood at some distance neither speaking a word to the other group. Wind swayed in between them as both groups carefully observed their enemies, either of them refusing to make the first move.

"So, that long haired dude is supposed to be the _snake_ we were searching for?" Juliet asked.

"Seems that way... his eyes suggest the same thing. And he is sort of creepy." Heine answered setting Yamato down.

"What are we waiting for then... they are just some low level _ninjas_ , right? We've dealt with those sort in our home before." Juliet said taking a battle stance.

"Enough!" August said in a stern voice. "Do not make light of this mission and never underestimate your opponent. We have to first examine our enemy before making a move." he said. "Seems like that girl on the back is a sensory type. They must already be making some sort of strategy."

Juliet sighed. "It's going to be a long day then."

"Stop complaining about everything, will ya!" Heine said as those two got into an argument.

"Listen up... they have something called chakra in them unlike the _ninjas_ in our world who use magic." Irene spoke up explaining her impatient subordinates. "They can be very sneaky and persistent. And that guy in front is no ordinary ninja. He is a crafty one. So, if you are not careful..." she turned round having a serious expression. "... you might end up dead." she finished as the rest gulped excluding August.

..

On the other side,

"Karin, What do you make of them?" Orochimaru asked without turning back.

The sensory ninja shifted her glasses as she focused, "It's... so _strange_."

"What's strange?" Suigetsu asked taking out his sword. It wasn't the Executioner's blade as he had already lost it in the five kage meet back when Taka infiltrated the summit to kill Danzo.

"Those two on the left and right... I am not sure if they are human at all."

"What do you mean?"

"It seems like some kind energy is wrapped against some sort of weapon. Whatever that energy is, it definitely isn't chakra." Karin said. She was in a no better state than the rest at trying to figure this out. She is actually a highly intellectual ninja but her obsession over Sasuke always seems to hide that fact. She analyzed Danzo's jutsu all by herself during the Sasuke-Danzo fight, probably her worst day in her life as Sasuke eventually drowned in darkness that day and ended up almost killing her.

"But they seem to be arguing about something like normal people. How can that be possible?" Suigetsu said.

A little bird flew towards Juugo at the moment and landed on his shoulder. It chirped as Juugo listened to it, his calmer self was always one with the nature. He could somehow understand the language of the animals, just like a hermit. It was quite a contrast if we compare it with his other self, the ragging demon who just lives to kill and kill.

"Orochimaru-sama! The scroll that young lady is tossing actually belongs to Fuushin." Juugo said having learnt this from the bird.

"Fuushin?" Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "It seems like they made it to him earlier than Sasuke-kun."

"EHH!" Suigetsu gasped. "Does that mean that is the scroll that Sasuke has been searching for?"

"Looks that way." Juugo answered.

"Any whereabouts of Fuushin?" Orochimaru asked.

"It seems he was left to die in the hell valley."

"Karin, what about those other two?" Orochimaru asked eyeing a Red haired woman and a white haired old man.

 _How is this possible_? Karin gulped as she gauged their power. _It definitely isn't chakra but what is it? That woman has something up her sleeve, something inhuman and her energy signature is a-almost same as...-_

"Karin!" Suigetsu called dragging Karin out of her deep thought. "What happened?"

Karin pointed her finger to the woman in front, "That woman's energy signature is similar to that of the girl that is travelling with Sasuke." she said referring to Erza.

" _FuFu_... Seems like they too aren't from around here." Orochimaru said obviously hinting that he knew of Erza's origin. "Everyone, be careful. They are from another world where they wield some sort of energy which isn't chakra."

"You mean the _world_ on the other side of the scroll?" Suigetsu asked.

"Seems that way. Our top priority now is retrieving the scroll and sending it to Sasuke-kun!" Orochimaru said as others nodded and took a defensive battle stance. "Karin, stay at the back and keep an eye on the enemy. Once we get the scroll, we are fleeing the battle. We do not want to indulge ourselves more than required in this stupid battle." he said.

In the next instance, Suigetsu and Juugo who unleashed his curse mark pattern, rushed at them as Juliet and Heine did the same and countered them. Thus, the battle between them began.

..

..

 **Konoha, Uchiha Residency;**

It had become night and all of the gang came to Sasuke's place. All of the girls had worn Yukata whereas the boys were in their regular outfits. They all sat down around a circular table on the tatami mats. Sasuke sat in between Erza and Naruto. Sakura sat to the other side of Erza whereas Hinata sat to the other side of Naruto.

Ino and Sai sat together whereas Shikamaru, Choji sat on either side of them. Tenten sat beside Hinata whereas Rock Lee, Kiba and Shino filled the remaining spaces.

Sasuke sat with a bored expression as he rested his chin against the palm of his hand. Erza, who was now fully clothed was nervous to be around so many people and her first impression with Naruto, the one who Sasuke considers his close friend wasn't a good one.

He _HAD_ walked in when she was trying to pin Sasuke down. And she wasn't wearing a lot of clothes when they were barged in by his friend. It took a lot of explaining from her afterwards but Naruto didn't seem that convinced. But she was glad as he did not speak anything about that.

Earlier that evening, she tried helping Hinata in making few dishes and she had to admit, Hinata was a nice girl and she really made good dishes. She found it easy to talk with Hinata but since her cooking skills were inferior to Hinata's, she wasn't of much help. She later sat with Naruto, who she now recognized as the hero who supposedly saved the world and the one who had the Kyuubi, the nine tailed demon in him.

"So..." Naruto began conversing. "You are Sasuke's wife, huh?"

Erza pulled back a hair strand behind her ear. "Yeah. And you are the 'dobe', am I right?"

Naruto gained a tick mark at this, "That teme... He could have introduced me a lot better."

"Actually, he did." Erza said quickly as Naruto looked at her surprised. "He used to constantly tell me about how you were during your academy days and how you supposedly _saved_ him."

Naruto scratched his cheek with some embarrassment. "Well, if he said all that good stuff about me, I suppose I could forgive him for calling me dobe."

"You really are his best friend." Erza muttered shaking her head.

For a hero who had saved the world, she expected him to be arrogant and smug about his achievements. But she was all wrong as he was actually an easy person to talk to and he was fun to hang around. She was beginning to understand a little as to why Sasuke sought the blonde's company.

After some small talk, seeing as Sasuke headed to kitchen, Erza motioned Naruto to come closer.

"He constantly told only about you, but never said much about himself."

Naruto hummed in agreement. "So, you wish to know more about him, do you?"

Erza's cheeks flushed a little. "I-i s-suppose. It's only natural that his wife would want to know more about her husband."

"You didn't ask him, did you?" Naruto deadpanned.

Erza stared at him in shock before nodding slowly. "I tried once, but he brushed it off."

Naruto sighed. "Well then... I suppose I got few stories to tell." he said as Erza beamed and sat with an attentive look on her face.

"Let's see... well..." he began as Erza paid her full attention to him. "Back in the academy days, he was really popular with all the kunoichi, just like me I suppose."

"Figures." Erza muttered in a low tone remembering how the Female population got bat shit crazy over him and would completely fawn over him during their travels.

"And he was really good looking and cool too... just like me..." Naruto said as Erza duly noted.

He continued. "And in academy, his ninjutsu grades were top of the class, exactly like me."

"I am going to stop you right there," she raised her arm. "There's only one person who can be at the top of a class."

Naruto continued ignoring the accusation. "However, he was a total loner with bad attitude who talked shit to other people and was an absolute smart ass!" Naruto shouted. "Totally unlike me!"

Erza recalled the conversations he had with other people and could not help but agree with Naruto at this. Loner... pfftt yeah. The only friend he ever had was Naruto and though she didn't remember her friends, she could bet she had more friends than him.

"In other words, he was my Rival!" Naruto declared. "Even now, that hasn't changed!"

The atmosphere shifted as something warm filled her chest. Her breathing evened out as she felt at ease as Naruto talked with a bright smile. She listened keenly as Naruto kept on telling her stories about the adventures they had as team 7. She also had images filled of a pink haired teen while talking to Naruto but immediately shook herself of her thoughts.

Sasuke in the meantime, made few dishes of his own. Erza was surprised to find that Sasuke was a good cook but even more surprised at the fact that even Naruto didn't know about it, his own best friend. Or even Hinata for that matter. She was beginning to understand how Sasuke was during his childhood. He was anti social and a total loner and this recent discovery of his cooking skills was the evidence to that.

Very soon night had taken possession and all his friends attended together. They must have all grouped somewhere before heading out to his place. At first, formal introductions were exchanged between Erza and others. They ate the dishes in relative silence as Naruto talked about how he fell for Hinata in his recent adventure on the moon. He started his speech with paying Neji some tribute as everybody had their heads bowed down. He then started on what happened on the moon mission.

Erza realized something as Naruto spoke, so she pulled Sasuke's sleeve. He turned towards her,

"What is it?" he asked in a bored manner. Maybe he also felt a bit out of place even as he sat among his _friends_. She had never heard him speak of his _friends_ other than Naruto after all.

"Don't you think they would ask us on how we met as well?" she whispered as Sasuke nodded after thinking for a bit.

"You are right."

"What should we say then?" she whispered. He could see that she was completely freaking out under the fake shell which she had created at the moment.

He opened his mouth to say something but stopped as Sakura eyed them suspiciously. It was now really getting on his nerves at having constant stares sent to the back of his head. Thankfully, Erza didn't know that the pink haired Shinobi beside her was actually carefully observing and scrutinizing them. His goal for now was convincing others that Erza was his wife and she was a regular kunoichi especially Sakura since Naruto seemed a lot convinced since the moment he barged in on them. The lesser people who knew about Erza's origin, the better.

"Hey, what are two whispering about?" Kiba asked interrupting Naruto. The rest of them turned their attention to Sasuke and Erza as the place got silent. Now she was clearly freaking out as she trembled with anxiety. Sasuke noticing this immediately placed his hand on top of Erza's hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze hoping that it would somehow calm her.

It did indeed calm her as she was now focusing her attention on his hand which he placed on the top. For some reason, she felt at ease. Of course, others couldn't see them holding hands as she was having her hands underneath the table.

Now that she had calmed down, Sasuke turned his attention to Kiba. "Is something wrong if I talk to my _wife,_ Kiba?"

Kiba just jabbed his finger at him. "There is nothing wrong with that but we are trying to listen to Naruto's tale here. You both can _gossip_ as much as you want after we leave." he said having a smug smile clearly implying something.

At this Erza was blushing madly, which was expected but Sasuke was calm. The rest of them found it odd that steam was erupting from Naruto's head. Naruto's head was now filled with the image of Sasuke and Erza that he had walked in. And Sasuke giving him a dark warning on not to spit it out to anyone was not helping his case.

"Sasuke! I would love to hear your tale of how you met Erza-san, the romance between two youths is always bright as a sun and beautiful as the season of spring. I would like to learn the lessons of love life from you as you are the only one among us who is married." Rock Lee yelled with his youth passion filled in his eyes. The rest of the gang agreed with him while Erza giggled a little at Sasuke's expression.

"Yes, Erza-san. We would really like to hear your story of how you met Sasuke-kun too. We have been following Sasuke-kun around since academy days and he never responded to our confessions." Ino said but quickly gave an answer to reassure Erza. "Don't worry. I am not going to snatch your husband from you. I am happy with Sai." she said as she hugged Sai's arm who had his 'smile'. Now, Sasuke chuckled a bit at the expression Erza gave.

The conversation went from Naruto and Hinata to Sasuke's marriage. Tenten was the first to ask a question.

"What is that you find attractive about Sasuke?" Tenten asked as Erza sputtered at the direct approach.

Erza's cheeks were flushed as she looked over to Sasuke who had the _'you are all on your own_ ' look on his face. She muttered a bastard before she forced a smile and looked over to Tenten. "He is always nice to me and cares about me even though he doesn't show much on his face and acts like an arrogant lil' bitch." she grumbled the last part sending a glare towards Sasuke.

Naruto laughed. "You are right about the little bitch, I totally agree on that." he said as others joined in on the laughter as well.

"Oi Naruto, where is the sake... we are well above drinking age and _it_ is an occasion. How can you both plan something so dry?" Kiba said as Shikamaru uttered 'Troublesome.'

"Being a disciple of Ero-sennin, there's no way I can forget about the drinks." Naruto shouted as he got up and sprinted to get the sake which was in the other room.

Meanwhile the girls had ganged up on Erza. "Come on, Erza-san. You know we didn't ask about that. What is it you found attractive about him, if you know what I mean?" Ino wiggled her eyebrows as all the girls shifted to one side whereas the guys moved to the other side.

"His... _smile_." Erza said as her left eyebrow twitched. She was being honest. His smiles were kind of nice but his smirks were a bit cocky according to her. But she immediately became nervous at the expression the girls gave.

"That was not at all creative, Erza-tan." Tenten said as Erza rubbed the back of her head.

Sakura took this chance, "So, Erza-san..." she started as Erza looked at her. The others were slightly worried knowing about the pink head's love for Sasuke and hoped she wouldn't ask something that would end up dangering their relationship.

"Have you ever kissed Sasuke-kun?" the others let out a sigh of relief when she finished her question.

"O-of c-course!" Erza said it a bit loud to her liking. "W-why wouldn't I k-kiss my own h-husband?!"

 _I knew it. Something does seem fishy_... Sakura thought as Erza became even more nervous under Sakura's scrutinizing gaze.

As if on cue for that, Sasuke stood behind them at the exact moment. He motioned Erza to get up and come towards him.

"Here..." he said handing her a bag having few bottles of sake as she stood in front of him. "This sake is for you girls." he handed as Erza took the bag in her own hand. But what happened next, it took her some time to comprehend. Sasuke leaned in and gave her a peck on her cheek.

He then placed his right hand on top of her head, patting her. "Don't drink too much. You tend to lose control sometimes, so be careful on how much you drink." he said in a totally affectionate tone that made all the girls' hearts skip a beat. All of their cheeks went red on discovering _this_ new affectionate side of Sasuke which they never saw before, a totally caring one. This totally changed their image of him.

If it was this bad for the girls who had only watched, It was a far lot worse for Erza. Her cheeks were still flushed as she nodded silently allowing him to pat her. Holding her cheek, she walked speedily over and sat beside Ino who was the closest at the moment to catch her breath.

Sakura became jealous as were all of them at the moment and it was like a dagger to her heart. Now, part of her thought maybe she was wrong about suspecting their marriage but part of her still seemed suspicious of the perfect timing of Sasuke and him kissing his wife exactly when she asked about it only a few moments ago.

Sasuke headed over to the boys side seeing that they had already began to drink. Choji was already at his limit as he was constantly burping.

"Smooth, Sasuke." Naruto said punching his best friend a little on his arm. His cheeks were a bit flushed as he drank.

Rock Lee was given no sake as everyone remembered what happened the last time he was given one. Shino drank in silence not opening his mouth even once to say anything. Sai just had his smile going on and he pestered Naruto by calling him 'dickless' and Sasuke 'traitor-kun.' Shikamaru drank only a little as he still had to carry Choji home.

With the girls, Hinata was next as the others drank the sake, even Hinata save for Erza as she was not handed any at the moment.

"Where are you from, Erza-san?"

She thought about it a bit, "Hidden Cloud Village." She did arrive in this world somewhere in the Hidden cloud village as Sasuke had told her. So, she was being honest in her own right.

Ino was next, "Where is your ring?"

Erza showed her a silver ring on her ring finger. Sasuke cared too much about the appearances and he did not miss even little things. Ino wasn't that impressed with the ring. This made Erza feel a bit small even though the whole thing was a fake one. Before others went for another round on Erza, Sasuke caught their attention.

"Leave her alone. If you remember, this night has another woman who is about to be married. So, pester her a little." he said spreading his arms backwards. Naruto smacked him on his head and Sasuke smacked him in return. They both were drunk to have another stupid spat though Sasuke looked a lot sober.

He seemed ticked off to the point that, Erza wasn't sure whether Sasuke was acting or not. A small sigh of relief escaped her lips as the questions were now shot at Hinata. She took the bottle of sake in her hand and drank a sip before Lee moved towards her.

"Yes?"

Lee had the puppy eyes going on. "The guys over there wouldn't give me sake. I said I wanted to try it and they refused me flat out."

"Why?"

"I don't know... they said I already tasted it before. But I don't remember when I had tasted it."

Erza, who now drank almost half the bottle waved her hand in denial, "Nonsense. Those fools are just kidding with you. Here, drink it Lee-san." she handed it to him while others were busy arguing among themselves.

It was too late by the time they noticed it. The whole night afterwards was hell and chaos as none of them remembered anything when they woke up. They all passed out where they drank in the living room.

..

Sasuke was the one to first wake up as his eyes were usually the most sensitive to light. He squinted a little as he opened his eyes. He caught his head which was in a little pain.

'I never expected to get this drunk. Nothing good comes from accepting that dobe's ridiculous challenges.' he thought as he placed his arm over his eyes a little. He felt multiple arms over his waist. He slowly got up moving their hands to their side.

One hand was from Naruto who was sleeping on his left side and the other was Shino's leg. He got up as he slowly moved across the unconscious bodies which lay motionless on the ground. He moved over to the couch and placed an ice pack on his head. He observed the Nara who had just woken up and sat by the window with a cigarette in his mouth. He wondered when did the Nara pick up a smoking habit. Must be from his late Asuma Sensei.

His eyes trailed to Erza and was perplexed at finding the situation with her. For some reason, Rock Lee and Kiba had their hands and legs tied together near Erza and Erza had a whip in her hand and an empty bottle in another as she slept beside them. Sakura and Hinata were cuddled up together beside Erza which was weird, maybe Hinata was comforting her. Ino was lying on the back of Sai who had his face down and Choji slept at a corner with his finger in his mouth like a new born baby. Tenten slept in another corner cuddling Akamaru and having many bottles surround her.

Sasuke chuckled a bit at the sight as Shikamaru spoke. "Quite a sight, isn't it?"

"Yeah... Hard to believe that these very people were trying to kill me two years ago."

Shikamaru closed his eyes sharing in on the joke, "Yeah... Hard to believe that you tried to the same." showing a bit of humor.

"Your doing?" Sasuke asked pointing to Choji.

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head. "I did warn him not to get too drunk."

Sasuke rested his hands on his knees as he bent forward. "Thanks, for what happened earlier." he spoke after a few seconds. He was referring to when Shikamaru was suggesting about the party to Sakura.

Shikamaru observed the Lone Uchiha. "No problem. I figured out the situation and did what was best at the moment."

"So, you knew about _her_?" Sasuke asked crossing his fingers.

"Yeah... As soon as I noticed her spike in energy. I confirmed it with Rokudaime as well. He also informed me of your mission." Shikamaru said as Sasuke shot a glance towards him. "Don't worry. I won't spill anything about your _marriage_ and the scroll."

"Since you are the assistant of the Sixth, I am telling you. This is only temporary. She will have to leave soon. It won't be long before the scroll is found out." Sasuke said clenching his hand a little.

Shikamaru let out a puff as he stared at the roof. "What sort of deal did you have with her?"

"Deal... Yeah, I clearly remember about it. I half lied to her about the deal. I just needed the frequency of the portal to her world and in return I was supposed to help her return. But..."

"But?!"

"After getting to see her memories and knowing about her which wasn't part of my plan, I ..."

"You formed a bond with her. Is that what you are trying to say?" Shikamaru said as Sasuke stayed silent.

"But remember. From what I had seen so far, Erza-san is a good and kind person. She must have a lot of Nakama in her world who depend on her. She is a lot like Naruto in that department where you feel like depending on them in a tough situation." he said as Sasuke listened intently.

"I know that and I am prepared to send her to her world when the time comes." Sasuke said. He knew that this would happen someday. But he always pushed it to the back of his head thinking he could deal with it when the time comes, but the truth was that he turned his back away from the harsher reality. Afraid to let her close to him, he unintentionally became close to her and it pained him at the thought of sending her to her world.

He wondered what Itachi must have felt when he decided to kill their father and mother. He wondered how he felt when he killed his girl friend, Izumi who used to occasionally come to his house. He felt pathetic compared to his big brother that he wasn't even prepared to let someone go for their own happiness. He was being selfish.

After some careful thought as he closed his eyes, he resolved himself to live up to his end of the deal. "I will absolutely send her back to her world." he declared as the Nara glanced at him.

He let out a puff, "Even if you are prepared to send her, she must be willing to go to, right?"

"Why wouldn't she be willing to go?"

Shikamaru let out another sigh, "You are as dense as Naruto sometimes, you know that?"

Sasuke shot a glare at him, "That Usuratonkachi? I don't think so."

"All I am saying is, are you willing to sacrifice for the happiness of those you care?"

"Of course." Sasuke said thinking about his Aniki and all the sacrifices he made.

"Then do what is right for them." Shikamaru finished as Sasuke looked a bit confused. Shikamaru had a way with words. Now that he had talked with the matured Shikamaru, he couldn't help but feel a bit of relief when his thoughts turn to how Naruto would handle everything in the future when he becomes the Hokage. The future of Konoha was secured even if he wasn't always there to protect it from the shadows.

Sai, who had woken up in the mean time pushed Ino's form aside gently and spoke. "Traitor-kun."

Sasuke's face twitched in irritation. "I told you to stop calling me that."

"So, traitor-kun..." he ignored Sasuke much to his annoyance. "What will you do about this big hole in the bungalow roof?" he said pointing upwards. There was a huge hole in the roof and Sasuke immediately recognized what caused it.

Rasengan.

"That Usuratonkachi... what was he thinking using a Rasengan in my home?" Sasuke thought as his visible eye constantly twitched.

"The pillars are damaged too... Must be Lee-san." Sai motioned Sasuke's gaze to the beaten and broken pillars and doors. He also noticed multiple swords sticking out of a pillar. _'Must be Erza_.' he sweat dropped thinking what the poor pillars might have done to earn the wrath of her.

Soon, others got up having severe headaches. Sasuke and Hinata made breakfasts for everyone and soon others left leaving a sleeping Erza and the Uchiha alone.

Sai met Sakura on her way home.

"Sakura... since I didn't ask you before, now I am asking you. How do you feel about Sasuke and his wife? What are your true feelings on that matter?" he asked as he knew the crush his pink haired team mate had towards the Uchiha.

Sakura kept walking forward, "Sasuke has returned back to us, didn't he?" she said turning and giving him a smile. "I am glad that he is happy with his wife. What more can I say?"

Sai could see beneath her expression. Her words might not be lies... but he can already tell that her smile was fake. He continued to think as Sakura started walking again.

"Wait Sakura." he called as she waited.

..

..

A few days passed by. Naruto often came to his house and hung out with Sasuke and Erza. They even went to eat Ramen sometimes and likewise he was taken to a bakery. His other friends also would visit her and him during this time. Sasuke sort of maintained his distance a little these few days which upset Erza. But she didn't say anything regarding that.

Nothing was out of ordinary until Sasuke suddenly received summons from Kakashi who asked him to come alone. He turned the door knob and entered to see Kakashi sitting behind his desk busy on a 'laptop.' Since he always used to travel to underdeveloped areas, he never really was used to the modern technology. He always used the analog methods to communicate with the Konoha and they had to rely on Sai each time to contact him.

"You asked for me?"

Kakashi looked from his desk and gave Sasuke an eye smile. "We've got some good news."

"Good news? Did you find Fuushin's location?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi replied. "We got something even better." A snake crawled out of a box and slid along Sasuke's leg. It moved up and whirled itself around Sasuke's right arm. It then opened its mouth as Sasuke held out his left hand. A tied up scroll was now present on his left hand which came from the snake's belly. The snake disappeared after it delivered the scroll in a puff of smoke.

"...Is this-"

"Yes." Kakashi was quick to reply. "Apparently Orochimaru found it and sent it specifically for you. You were searching for it, weren't you?"

"But why would he send it to Konoha? He isn't that kind of guy." Sasuke said as he found it hard to believe.

Kakashi's expression became serious. "Apparently Sasuke, he also sent a message. Yamato is seriously injured and Orochimaru had to move to his other hide out... or rather he was forced to after a battle." Kakashi said handing him another scroll.

Sasuke opened and read it. He raised his eye brows while he read it. "This is..."

"'Send Erza-chan back to her world' is what he wanted to say. Apparently some people from her world attacked him and they were the ones who had the scroll with them."

Sasuke frowned. "Are these people searching for Erza?"

"It might be a possibility but I don't think they are her allies. Erza-san is actually kind and no unusual movements were detected from her. Let her remember her memories or not, I don't think a person can be so different due to that. These people are bad news. They tortured their assailants to extract information and even killed them."

"So, you are implying that we send her back to her world immediately before Konoha gets dragged into this mess?" Sasuke said as Kakashi stayed silent. "Don't worry. I'll send her back to her world and give her the good _news_ personally." Sasuke said walking away.

"Wait Sasuke! How are going you to send her without other scroll being open?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke turned back as he opened the door. "I'll force open the portal on the other side with the help of my Rinnegan." he finished as his bangs covered his eyes. "Then, I want the location and identity of these assailants. I will go and confront them myself." he said having a serious look.

"I will send Naruto with you as your back-up. Good luck!" Kakashi said as Sasuke shut the door.

Sasuke walked outside and saw Naruto leaning against a wall, hands folded and eyes closed.

"You heard everything?"

He opened his eyes, "Yeah... Sasuke. I knew she was kind of different from the moment I witnessed the spar between you two. That energy she released definitely wasn't chakra."

Naruto unfolded his arms and walked to him. He was seriously worried for his friend right now. He knew Sasuke was faking his marriage but he looked so happy when he was with Erza. He wanted Erza to stay here somehow, but as Shikamaru had said it, Her friends might be waiting for her and he knows the importance of protecting those bonds.

They walked in silence for the rest of the walk. "Sasuke... are you going to be alright?"

Sasuke looked at the blonde as Naruto gasped a little.

"Yeah... why do you ask?"

 _You say you are alright but your eyes say differently Sasuke..._ Naruto thought as he observed Sasuke's eyes showed no emotion. They were lifeless, completely devoid of any light.

"What are you going to do now?" Naruto asked eyeing the once Avenger.

Sasuke stopped momentarily. "What do you suggest?"

"I already have my clone searching for _them_ using Sage mode." Naruto said. "I want us both to confront them before you take any decision. There is a chance that they aren't Erza-chan's allies."

Sasuke just stared evasively at his friend. "You want me to hold off on sending her back?"

"Only temporarily. Chaos may spread the more people come to learn of them. We must deal with them quickly before more people are involved." Naruto said waiting for an answer. "So, what do you say?"

Sasuke's cloak fluttered in wind as he was drowned in thought. What Naruto said does seem logical and may be the right thing to do. After weighing the pros and cons, he opened his mouth. "Alright. Let's go after heading to my home. I still have some my things back there."

Naruto smiled. "Let's head to your house immediately."

They leaped through the roofs of the buildings and very soon, they were in front of Sasuke's house. They stepped in as they heard chopping voice coming from the kitchen. Sasuke wanted to avoid facing Erza right now but as luck would have it, his katana and other stuff lay in the kitchen. He didn't want her to fight this new assailants as her safety was at risk here in case what Kakashi said was true.

Sasuke was about to proceed without any noise to retrieve his weapon but fate wasn't on his side. Naruto who stayed at the front sneezed at the right moment. Erza immediately turned back to see Sasuke leaning forward and smiling awkwardly at her.

"What are you doing?"

Sasuke sighed as he straightened. He wasn't a good liar and he knew that wouldn't work on Erza. Better to be honest. "An urgent mission has come up and I have to head out immediately with Naruto." he said with a straight face.

"With Naruto?" Erza said as she brought the spoon she was holding near her chin. "Aren't you two like the strongest around here?"

"Yes... sort of. Anyway, I am heading out and I don't know how long the mission will take. So, don't wait for me." he said as he picked up his katana and strapped it to the back of his belt. He proceeded to walk to the front taking quick steps before Erza stopped him again.

"Wait... you are forgetting something!"

Stopping, Sasuke checked his weapon pouch and held the hilt of his katana. Everything was present, so what else could he be missing. Turning around, "Are you sure I am missing-"

His eyes softened momentarily when he saw her holding out a Bento packed in a cloth having the Uchiha crest on it. He looked at her to see her holding a smile.

"This is..."

"You are forgetting to carry your lunch for your journey. This Bento has Rice Onigiri in it... I learnt it from Hinata-san. It's your favorite, isn't it?" she said as Sasuke wore a sad smile but it disappeared just as quickly.

He took it in his right hand. "Thanks." He was genuine about it and this red head was making it difficult for him to send her back to her world.

"What if I asked to tag along?" Erza asked as she clasped her hands behind her back.

Sasuke motioned her to come near him with his hand. As soon as she was near, she staggered back a bit as Sasuke poked her forehead with his middle and index finger. "Sorry, Erza. Maybe next time."

She pouted as Sasuke wore an amusing expression. She was sometimes too cute when she was like that. He had to stop his train of thoughts forcefully as he reminded himself that she wasn't going to stay here for long. His expression became neutral as he nodded once more and headed out to see Naruto kicking a stone, waiting impatiently for him.

"Took you long enough... is that a bento?"

Sasuke glanced at the lunch box. "Yeah." he said in a low voice. "You don't need to worry. I'll share some of it with you." he said noticing the jealous look on Naruto's face which he desperately tried to hide but failed.

"Ok... let's get going now." Naruto said as he had the toad eyes after a moment.

"Found them?"

"Yeah... "

..

..

"Two massive energy signatures are heading out towards us." Irene said as the others stopped.

"Is it the snake?" August asked.

"No... but even better. He is saving us the trouble of finding _him_." Irene said having a sly smile.

"The Uchiha, huh?"

"Yeah." Irene said having a wily smile.

* * *

 **Erza's father is some random dude... disappointed with that. But, I am going to exploit that fact as you'll see in the next chapter.**

 **Keep reviewing and following.**

 **Unitil then, Later!**


	9. Chapter 9: Return to Fiore

**Hey guys. Here is chapter 9.**

 **As always thanks to Zedscep, Devil's Darklight, Darkzero698, ROXAS, ZebraUchiha, nsymina, blacknredrose3, Josephantom, grither55, cristifilip372, sandwich master and guest(x2).**

 **Disclaimer: Do not own FT and Naruto. They belong to their respective owners. I apologize in advance for any mistakes. I am rushing the plot here a bit to speed up things a bit.**

 **Continuing on;**

* * *

 **...**

 **Chapter 9: Return to Fiore**

The **Land of Iron** was an icy, snow-covered country. It was politically unusual in that it has remained neutral and never been involved in the ninja wars. In fact, the shinobi had a rule since long ago that they would not meddle with the land.

Despite this, it was said to have an incredibly strong military which was manned by samurai, instead of ninja. When the Fourth Shinobi World War began, the Land of Iron joined the Shinobi Alliance and was fully prepared to participate in the war against Akatsuki's Eye of the Moon Plan and it was decided by their leader Mifune at a five kage summit after it had been attacked by Sasuke and later Tobi declaring the war.

It was especially that last statement that the shields of spriggan found themselves in the land of Iron. Chocolate brown eyes looked at the scenery around her, eyes filled with slight curiosity. "I see... it makes sense why this land wasn't troubled by the other nations till now. It has a natural terrain advantage and the cold weather isn't something that most people would want to stay in for long."

A chilly breath escaped as she parted her lips, looking over at the three ranges around her, also known as the Three Wolves **.**

"Wow Lady Irene! One can almost mistake you as a resident of this place. You have become quite well versed with this land's history," Juliet, one of her daughters beamed as she hopped around Irene who had made herself comfortable on a cold rock.

"I like to keep myself updated with constant information after all. They say having knowledge about your enemy is half battle won, my dear Juliet." The red head's lips curled up in mock amusement as she looked at the raging buildings in distance; the once meeting place of a certain five kage summit. Though the flames were too far from her and did little to provide her warmth. "I have to agree regarding why no one would want to stay for longer periods in this place. This weather is too nippy for my liking."

"Irene-sama... Don't tell me you are going to use..." Heine's eyes flashed slightly wider, but she never got to finish.

With a single tap from the tip of her staff, Irene let the enormous amounts of ethernano in her mold for her spell. The whole terrain started terraforming as they all were blinded by a bright white light covering the entire land.

A few kilometers away, Sasuke and Naruto who were leaping through the trees had to temporarily halt and shield their eyes from a blinding light that assaulted their vision without any warning.

"What is that light!?" Naruto asked as he held his hands up.

"Must be the enemy's ability," Sasuke said, activating his sharingan as he squinted his eyes in the direction of the source.

..

* * *

"Hokage-sama!" An anbu appeared and bowed down before the desk.

Kakashi was standing and looked through the window, staring at the bright light which came from a far off distance. His mind was far too distracted, but he glanced back at the anbu over his shoulder, "What is it?"

"Naruto and Sasuke aren't in the village currently," the anbu said. He bowed down even further. "We were keeping an eye on them as you had ordered but they suddenly vanished," the figure continued lifting his head as his eyes bore through the anbu mask. "It's like they knew we were watching them. They were gone before we realized it too late."

"Don't tell me those two..." Kakashi thought as he brought his hand to his head. "This is surely getting troublesome..." He let out a deep sigh after staring long at the white light. He then turned to the bowed down anbu. "Don't fret. It couldn't be helped. Naruto is an adept ninja having extra ordinary sensory skills and Sasuke isn't bad in it either. Tell me one thing though," he turned away having a serious expression.

"She is still here... right?"

"Yes, Lord sixth! She is currently under surveillance as we speak." the anbu nodded.

Kakashi brought his hand near his chin. "Okay, now. You are dismissed."

"Yes, Lord Sixth!" the anbu said vanishing from there. Kakashi turned towards the window as he dug his hands in his pocket. He stared as the light vanished. _Let's just hope those two do nothing foolish_.

..

* * *

"Let us proceed with caution. That light came from the Land of Iron, right?" Sasuke asked as they were almost at the border of the country.

Naruto just nodded as he jumped off another branch. "Yeah... that's where I last sensed them as well."

They both jumped down and started sprinting as their eyes widened.

"Wasn't the land of Iron always covered in snow?" Naruto asked as he sprinted through a green meadow. He threw away the white cloak he was wearing as he increased his pace, stepping in front of the Uchiha.

Sasuke, who was not far from him narrowed his gaze. "Is it because of the enemy?" he asked but it was more like a statement.

"We have to be careful, Sasuke. We don't know what kind of moves the enemy posses and on what their attacks are based on." Naruto said.

They had reached another forest and Naruto landed on a branch of a tree.

Sasuke leaped on it as well. "You are telling me to be careful when you are the one who generally rushes into the battle without any prior planning. Look who's talking, dobe."

"Do you have to pick on everything I have to say?" Naruto asked, a tick mark appearing on his fore head.

Sasuke just shrugged. "Hn. Just don't contradict your own words and make the situation even more complicated, Naruto."

"You are telling me not to complicate a situation?" Naruto shouted as they reached another plain field. "The last time I remember we worked together, I wasn't the one complicating a situation. You were the one who went _crazy_ after defeating Kaguya." Naruto said as Sasuke gave another one of his famous 'Hn' before he halted much to the confusion of Naruto.

"Naruto." Sasuke called out in a serious tone.

Naruto who had his head turned back stopped as well. "Oh, What?! Did I just hit a nail or something?"

The former avenger sighed before he grabbed the blonde's jaw and forcibly turned it to the front. "The enemy's right in front of us, idiot. Did your senses dull, or something?"

"It's funny coming that from you." Naruto said as he swatted Sasuke's hand from his head and narrowed his eyes at the enemy.

"Are you guys finished yet?" a black haired young woman asked in a bored manner, as she stood in front of two people alongside an awfully chirpy blonde one.

"I have been itching for a challenge. Those samurai weren't much of a match. Let's just hope you guys offer more challenge than them!" The chirpy one, Juliet grinned as she sprinted towards them with her fist held up. Heine, the black haired woman sighed at her sister's antics before she charged at the duo as well.

"Aren't you going to stop them?" August asked, glancing at an amused Irene.

"Children should learn their mistakes through experience. Isn't that what being a parent is all about?" Irene said as she brought her staff close to herself.

August sighed before his eyes focused on the black haired young man covered in a black oak and a blonde who was in a black and orange outfit. "They should have learnt it by now after facing Orochimaru, I presume that's his name. He stole the scroll when they were busy rambling and escaped taking that wood wielding man with him. All our leads are gone."

"But didn't that prove quite fruitful as the man we were searching has appeared in front of us?" Irene said as she turned her head towards the strongest mage.

"You mean that there is an _Uchiha_ among them?" August asked with a genuinely surprised expression before he turned towards the opposite side. The charging idiots have already reached the black cloaked man and blonde by the time they finished speaking.

Juliet charged at the blonde who now had toad shaped eyes. The blonde, leapt all of a sudden at the unsuspecting girl who was at the back, confronting them midway as he threw a punch at Heine, who missed it barely by moving her head sideways. Or, so she thought. As in an instant, she was sent crashing sideways through a bolder as if an invisible punch hit her.

"What just happened? I thought she missed it!" August was baffled but before the red head could open her mouth, the raven haired teen rushed forward and round house kicked the distracted Juliet in her face, sending her crashing the opposite direction.

He then straightened himself and proceeded to walk towards them until he reached the blonde.

"Who are you? Identify yourself!" the cloaked guy shouted in a stern voice.

The blonde had his hands behind his head, "Yeah, just tell us before this guy here looses his patience. It's already rare enough for him to give you guys a warning shout."

The raven haired youth glanced at the blonde beside him. "Whose side are you on, dobe?"

Before this 'dobe' could reply, Irene stepped forward. "My, my. How rude of us not to introduce ourselves. My name is Irene Belserion and this man here is August."

Naruto bent forward as he stared comically at them. "Wait... August as in a month?"

"It's his name, idiot." Sasuke corrected his best friend as he presumed observing his enemies.

The red head lifted the front part of her wide hat to get a good look at the Uchiha. She stared at raven haired teen, whose shoulders had now visibly tensed as if he was just now noticing her face for the first time. The blonde also seemed visibly shaken by her appearance.

They noticed her hair locks before but made no comment on it. But, seeing her face and the resemblance she bore was too similar to-

"Y-you are..."

"Oi Sasuke... she- her hair. Why does she seem a lot familiar to Erza-chan?"

Irene who held an amusing expression on her face, narrowed her eyes. "Hm? A girl in this world familiar to me... Don't confuse me with the stupid red heads you find here, foolish boy. I am a lot different from them."

"Boy?! You don't look much older than myself, you stupid Hag." Naruto shouted as Irene visibly twitched.

"August-san... Let us get rid of the blonde first and then get to our business." Irene said, stepping forward as did August.

Naruto, who had heard everything, was near them in flash. "Get rid of the blonde... I would like to see you try!" He threw his right arm at her, leaving heaps of dirt and rocks flying around. Irene, who had anticipated the blonde to attack, had already dodged his punch by using enhancing spells to boost her movements.

"Ara... did I just rub the wrong way?" The red headed witch spoke as she wore a smirk. Naruto matching her with a wild grin of his own, chased after her retreating form, separating her from August.

August did not pursue the blonde, rather he knew that he couldn't afford to concern himself for the safety of the red head as he stared to his front. The black cloak flapped as the last Uchiha stared at the old man in front of him. The lone black orb analyzing the form of the old man who got into a defensive stance.

"Tell me, boy. What is your name?" August demanded. "I wish to know my opponent's name before we proceed."

"Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke."

"August." the old man nodded and started charging at the youth at great speeds. Sasuke unsheathed his sword as lightning coated it and in an instant, he seem to vanish from his spot where he was just standing.

August stopped in his tracks raising an eyebrow. "Speed related magic?" he thought before he heard a lighting attack collide against the natural barrier set around him. He turned behind to see the sword which was drawn before, covered in lightning and thrust against his barrier.

"You know how to use lightning as well, boy." August said before his eyes widened a fraction. "It's impressive to see that your lightening sword is cutting through my barrier," he said jumping back and barely missing the lighting sword which sliced into the footing he was standing on with ease.

Sasuke picking up his sword, narrowed his eyes at August. "I told you my name, didn't I? So stop calling me that."

"It's just like the enchantment magic performed by Irene." August analyzed ignoring Sasuke's comment. "You use your lightning to increase the sharpness and the cutting ability, don't you?"

Sasuke stood there flabbergasted. Magic. Did he just say Magic?

Magic as in the bed stories his mother used to read to him where witches flew on a broom stick and carried a crystal ball in their bag. Now that he observed, both the old man and the red head were carrying a staff. Maybe it was like their wand where they could use spells, or something through it.

But that does explain the barrier he just felt. And also the wardrobe choice of the red head who seemed to tick off Naruto. But, if what they were using is magic related like spells, then Erza was also a wizard by definition. But, it was a little hard to digest given her hand to hand and sword ability, he expected her world to be much similar to his but magic, it was hard to comprehend. But that also meant they were in trouble.

"Tell me something, old man. By spells, do you mean you can use death, curse spells and those sort of spells?" Sasuke asked. If death spells existed, it would make the situation a bit complex. The enemies don't need hand signs, so they wouldn't know when an attack would be pulled out, while they needed hand signs giving the opponent a chance to guard themselves.

"I do not have those kind. The death spells belong solely to my majesty and the curse and various other spells are Irene's forte." August said. "However, I can use this particular magic." he raised his hand to his front as a magic circle appeared. "Sleep Magic."

Maybe it was a blessing in disguise as Sasuke had already readied himself after seeing the magic circle. Now it was similar to fighting Erza. His eyelids started feeling heavy but it was dispersed quickly as he activated his sharingan. August seemed to be taken back by it.

"So, that's the revered Sharingan." August noted as he stared with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

Sasuke scanned the old man in front of him with his sharingan. A green type of material was present in August's body while normally it should have been a blue color halo with a separate network like the nervous system. Maybe, the green thing was the substitute for the chakra. And there were no networks he could observe. Similar to Erza, except this guy had a bulk of whatever that green thing was and it was no joke.

"I take it this isn't your first time seeing the Sharingan." Sasuke said, observing his foe as he stood at a distance.

"No... but the emperor has warned us about it." August said. "And because of that, I cannot hold back."

The ground under the feet of Sasuke started shaking as the old man in front of him was covered in _his_ magic aura. It was similar to when Erza released her aura during their spar except this guy's was no joke. He could feel it without even trying to sense it.

A pillar of light shot up into the sky before it vanished. The skin of the old man reddened as his hair went up except his beard. His whole abilities seemed enhanced and he was at a completely different level than before.

"This is called my _Dark Transformation_." the old man said. He then raised his hand and small beams at the size of a bullet shot out from his fingers. This time, no magic circle was formed.

Sasuke leaped sideways and rolled off to his side as the beam slid past. He settled himself on one knee with his right fist held against the ground, observing the destroyed boulders behind him.

 _Similar to Danzo's wind bullets._

The former avenger got up and rushed. He flicked a few shuriken from his pouch as he started sprinting towards the old man. August made no attempt to dodge them but stood still, not taking his eyes off him at all. The shuriken reached their target and blood dripped from his wounds but there was no hint of pain visible on August's face. The old man's eyes were still laced with utmost attention, tracking his movements.

 _So, this ability enhances his endurance skills, huh?_

Sasuke thought as he held up a ram sign and flickered behind him. Blue tendrils immediately surrounded the fingers of right hand.

 _How about this for pain?_

"Chidori."

His left hand was covered in lightning as the ground underneath his left hand cracked. August turned around after hearing distinctive birds chirping. Sasuke dashed forward positioning his left hand behind his back as he drew near August.

 _What sort of attack is that?_ August thought as he immediately drew his hand in front of him, sensing the potency of that single attack. A huge beam of fire erupted from his spell at the advancing Uchiha.

Sasuke was forced to abort his attack mid way due to the burns that were caused on his skin from the heat. His eyes shifted to the ocular pattern summoning the Susano'o rib cage. He held his hands up as he braced himself against the heat.

"This fire can obliterate anything in its set and can even be felt from many kilometers away." he heard August speak as the fire beam was now stopped. August walked through the smoke and a surprised expression formed on his face. "Or, so it seems. That ribcage... is that another one of your special eye ability?" the old man asked.

Sasuke dispelling the Susano'o, straightened up. "Hn."

"How about this one?" August shouted as he brought his both hands in front of him. A massive wave of heat magic was created at the palm of his hand and now headed towards Sasuke who didn't need any hand signs for his own counter attack. He brought his index and middle finger of his right hand near his mouth.

"Katon : Goukakyuu no Jutsu." He shot a fireball at the huge wave of Fire. It met the wave of fire as they both tried to push each other trying to gain dominance. The attack he used was a simple one, but the effect it left differed from user to user, depending on his affinity, experience and the amount of chakra he used, the efficiency.

But the massive wave of Fire magic seemed to push the Fire ball Jutsu with minimal effort after the initial few moments. Sasuke who had his left eye shut, now had blood dripping down along his left cheek. He immediately opened his eye focusing on the clash of infernos which seemed to scorch the entire land ripping it of what ever moisture was left.

"Amaterasu." Black flames appeared out of nowhere and started eating away Sasuke's flames. This caused August to raise his eyebrows as the black flames were now _eating_ even his Fire magic which he so boasted about. He immediately jumped back stopping his attack as soon as the black flames reached near his palms.

A line of sweat rolled down his temple. If he wasn't too careful just now... he might have been burnt to a crisp by it. A shiver ran across his spine. "That black fire... What is it?"

Sasuke shut his left eye and the black flames burned for a bit longer before they were completely extinguished.

"It's called the black flames of Amaterasu. They continue to burn for seven days and seven nights until the target is completely burned away even if the target is fire itself." Sasuke said as he proceeded to walk towards him.

August seemed quite impressed with the attack. "I-Incredible. To think that I, touted as the magic king has been beaten in the Fire element," he then gasped when he saw the strange pattern of Sasuke's right eye which he didn't notice before. He couldn't see the left eye due to his bangs but thought they had the same pattern.

"That eye... what is it called?" August asked.

The right eye of Sasuke shifted from the ocular form to normal three tomoe. He closed his eyes as he humored the old man in front of him. "It's called the Mangekyou Sharingan."

"...You mean to say that this is the M-Mangekyou Sharingan?" August took an involuntary step backwards as he repeated the same line. Sasuke seemed to be a bit confused by this. Maybe the old man heard of the Mangekyou back in the world he hailed from.

August cracked a smile after a few seconds. "So that is the legendary ocular power that could control the dragons of the old," he laughed as Sasuke wondered what nonsense he was spouting. Dragons? Had he gone senile?

Or maybe not. It was entirely plausible that dragons existed in the other world if magic existed there. And it was not that strange as the Mangekyou could be used to control the tailed beasts here. Maybe, these dragons were similar to the tailed beasts.

"Boy, Let me ask you this..." August asked as Sasuke twitched.

"I told you to stop calling me that." Sasuke grunted in annoyance as he held his sword in front of him.

August ignored Sasuke's rude comment as he spoke. "Are you the most powerful one of your clan?"

The anger that Sasuke held vanished in a split second. It was replaced by a throbbing pain in his chest as he struggled to breath for a second. He started breathing heavily as he narrowed his eyes like someone just reminded him of a dark truth. Other than that, no more emotions were shown on his face but the sudden tense of his shoulders wasn't missed by August.

"Is that question so difficult to answer... I just asked you, Are you the strongest one in your clan at the moment?"

"No." Sasuke cut back coldly. "I am the only one left in my clan," his hands clenched as he bent his head down a little.

August did not take this new information well. Now, August was quivering with sorrow as this whole thing kind of put a dent in their plan. "A-Are you sure no one else is left alive besides you?"

"I would be most happy if I knew of anyone." Sasuke said as he raised his head and looked the enemy straight in his eye. "You seem to know a lot about the sharingan and even the mangekyou, something that isn't public knowledge even in leaf. And you said you never encountered one before. Did someone you know encounter an Uchiha?" he asked.

August stayed silent as the only noise at the moment was coming from the battle which was happening not far away.

"ANSWER ME!" Sasuke demanded. His recent missions all were under the pretext that few Uchiha's survived on the other side. But the reaction of August was just painful to watch. He was sent a look of pity from his enemy which in its own sense was not forgivable. He questioned again, afraid to hear the truth he deduced from his enemy so far but asked it nonetheless.

"They all died 400 years ago along with the Dragons." August finally answered the Last Uchiha after a brief moment of Silence.

Sasuke stood motionless as he could only hear his own cloak fluttering in the wind before he broke the silence with a laughter.

"Heh, why did I even have my hopes pinned on that?" he questioned himself as he stopped his laughter. "I am just pathetic. Tell me something, old man. Who was the one you heard all of this from?" he asked with a dark expression, a ghostly smile threatening to take over his features. His dormant self trying to push past the newly healed barriers around his heart.

August gulped as the temperature around them plummeted. A cold dark aura now covered Sasuke as red eyes bore into his soul. He was about to open his mouth when the floor underneath suddenly increased in height.

Spikes emerged from the land as Sasuke and August jumped high into the air before landing and maintaining their balance on the spikes. A few dozen blondes flew towards them before popping into puff of smoke as Naruto landed beside Sasuke.

"Man, she surely is strong. A bit like Kaguya's jutsu in manipulating the land." Naruto said, grinning before he turned towards Sasuke with concern evident in the blue eyes. "Are you all right? Kurama said he felt something strange from you. So, I immediately rushed here."

Sasuke, who almost gave in to his violent impulse which lay quiet in him until now, was suddenly reminded all that he went through to achieve this state. This state which he had acquired by finally making peace with his past. He took in a deep breath before smiling softly at the blonde.

"...I am alright now."

Naruto believed in his best friend's words without a doubt. They jumped as the whole land area became flat again. The red head flew towards them carrying an unconscious Heine and Juliet under her arms. Sasuke was confused by this and turned towards the blonde.

"Yeah... I forgot to tell but apparently she can fly."

The red head who was now smirking gave Naruto an amused stare. "You almost got me with your Jutsu, you know that."

Sasuke had a questioning look on his face as he stared hard at the blonde who conceded after a minute to his stare.

"Alright... I tried the Reverse Harem no Jutsu since it seemed to work on Kaguya. But, for some reason she became more focused and dare I say, angry." Naruto said rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"You _seriously_ tried that? We were actually lucky that we came out alive after pulling that with Kaguya." Sasuke said, sighing. Meanwhile, August and Irene had a chat where August informed Irene of Uchiha clan's current predicament.

Irene stayed silent before turning her attention to Sasuke. "You know, it's been a long time since I last encountered an Uchiha."

Sasuke and Naruto were both shocked by this but for different reasons. Naruto wondered how she knew about the Uchiha clan and when did she even encounter one if Sasuke was the sole survivor. Sasuke thought that August had lied about Uchiha's extinction 400 years ago but his serious expression didn't suggest so. So, Irene could be the one lying to throw him off.

"How can that be possible if all the Uchiha died around 400 years ago in your world? How can you possibly meet one?" Sasuke asked, but the confidence in his eyes vanished when Irene placed her hand in front of her mouth and giggled to herself.

"Ara... Did I forget to mention that my husband once was an Uchiha general?" she said in a playful tone as Sasuke's eyes widened. "It happened exactly 400 years ago and I know I should not have expected much from your clan. I thought he was different...but oh well. I handed out the right judgement on your clan for I was the one that brought upon the Uchiha clan's extermination in my world," she said, a twisted smile marring the sharp features on her face.

"400 YEARS?!" Naruto's jaw hung down, "You mean to say you are well above 400 years old. You have even put Granny Tsunade to a shame." Naruto shook his head thinking about the former Fifth Hokage who was actually well above fifty but maintained an appearance of a twenty year old. But, this was an individual who was over 400, but maintained a very youthful persona.

"How can that be possible?" Sasuke asked taking a step forward.

Irene closed her eyes as she played with her staff. "It is possible due to the mysteries present in my world, young man. How about we cut the chase and get to the point of our visiting your world?" she said as she became serious again. "We have come for you, Uchiha Sasuke, at the orders of our majesty and we will not stop until you return with us."

The last Uchiha parted his lips, breathing out deeply before leaping onto a high cliff behind him. Naruto followed him and crossed his arms looking at the two wizards.

"Shall I bring Kurama in and capture them? I highly doubt if they could be restrained even if we take them back to Konoha. We cannot always watch them, ya know."

"No. As you said it would be just pointless. I'll force them to retreat and... I'll show them the power of the Uchiha's which they are underestimating so much. That should throw them off for a while." he said as he formed a ram seal. The purple Susano'o came to life around him as it now contained two heads, each head having its own set of arms. Both the sets of arms performed different seals as he shouted to his enemies below.

"I am different from the ones you have encountered till now." he said, directing his answer at Irene. "You will see the true might of an _Uchiha_. They are not to be taken lightly." The red ruby then focused on his friend who stood beside him, inside the rib-cage. "I believe Madara did this once. You were present at the time, weren't you Naruto?"

Naruto took an unconscious step back as memories came rushing back to him. "This is-"

The whole area became dark as Heine and Juliet who had just woken up, dropped onto their butts immediately as they looked up. August and even Irene who had the confident smirk was visibly shaken by what she was witnessing.

"Are the Uchiha's capable of performing such feats?" August asked as he immediately pulled out a teleportation Lacrima. "I now wish we would have brought Brandish with us."

"It's my first time seeing this as well." Irene said as she trailed her eyes to the Uchiha whose left eye was now visible. A purple pattern she had no knowledge about was present in the Uchiha's left eye socket. She always considered herself highly knowledgeable, so she was clearly set aback. She then saw the Uchiha open a purple portal as the blonde jumped in it.

"Even if we were somehow able to destroy it, we will be weakened a lot due to lack of ethernanos. It is best if we retreat." August said. The lacrima in his hand glowed and a magic circle appeared underneath them.

Just as the Sasuke was about to jump into the purple portal as well, she shouted. "Remember, boy. We will not stop until we capture you by force if required. Even if we are defeated, you will have others invading your home. So, think long and hard on your decision, my dear Sasuke." she said, thoroughly satisfied as she observed the Uchiha halt for a second and how his hands clenched against his sides. Sasuke had a scowl on his face as he jumped into the portal before the entire terrain was destroyed by the meteor he had just summoned.

..

* * *

Erza was walking through the streets of Konoha on a busy evening. She hummed to herself as she was currently a lot pleased having just bought an entire Strawberry cake. She was planning to eat it in peace at the Uchiha Residency as Sasuke wasn't in home at the moment. Or, so she thought.

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

She heard a scream above and before she could raise her head, two figure fell on top of her. The blonde was sandwiched between Erza and Sasuke in the pile. He smiled nervously as he greeted her.

"What's up, Erza-chan?"

She had a blank stare before her eyes rolled to the messed up strawberry cake which she planned to eat later, peacefully at the Uchiha manor. She shook with anger as Naruto and Sasuke got up immediately and moved to the side, flinging words at each other.

"Sasuke-teme! Couldn't you have picked a better spot? What the hell was that- Summoning a portal mid air?" Naruto said head butting Sasuke.

"I told you I still have no control over the height of the portal. Since we summoned it on a cliff, it's only natural that we would be popping up so high in the air!" Sasuke justified.

Naruto was about to say something before he felt murderous intent coming from beside them. He slowly turned his head and saw Erza trembling with anger and her glare was directed at them.

"Dobe... how about we run now?"

"That would be great, Sasuke!" they both turned slowly and were about to sprint in the opposite direction before Erza grabbed them by their collar.

"You both aren't running anywhere!" Erza said dragging them in the direction of Sasuke's house. "Not until you explain this shit."

A little boy was perplexed by the sight of a red head dragging two figures by their collar. One of them was his hero, his idol and the other was his 'idol's' best friend. So, for a kid seeing his favorite super hero being dragged around in town was too much for him.

"Daddy! Why is that scary woman dragging those two like that?" the young boy asked tugging his father's sleeve.

His father knew that Naruto was generally accustomed to being bossed around by women, so it was natural for him to be dragged but after finding that the last Uchiha was the other person dragged around, he couldn't find the... right words. It wasn't just the case for him but all the other by standers who observed the sight as well. Whatever fears or doubts they had of the Uchiha vanished after seeing the sight. A small smile formed on the man's lips as he answered his son.

"Never mess with your wife, even if you are the Last Uchiha!" the man chortled as the young boy looked at his father with a confused expression.

"What did I ask and what did you answer?" he pouted. "I am telling mommy that you just bad mouthed her!" the kid said walking away as his father ran behind him.

"Wha- I didn't say that!"

..

* * *

"You guys... What was so urgent that you popped out of nowhere and destroyed my cake in the process? What did my poor cake do to deserve this?" Erza questioned as she stood having her arms folded across her chest. The two figures who were seated on their knees in front of her looked away from the fuming Erza.

"Sasuke. Please control your _wife_!" Naruto pleaded as he looked in the avenger's direction.

Sasuke frowned. "I thought you knew she _wasn't_ my _wife_."

"AHH! I don't care about that... just please do something before she beats us!" he whined as the Uchiha just sighed.

As if on cue for their rescue, Sai entered the house without informing them of his arrival.

"Good evening, Erza-san," Sai greeted her, his smile plastered on his face. He looked at the scene, blinking once and then twice before he smiled once again as if he didn't notice how they were seated up, ready to receive a punishment. "I am sorry for interrupting, but I need these two at the moment. Hokage-sama has summoned them." Sai said, as Naruto immediately grabbed his shirt thanking him while Sasuke stood up and proceeded to follow Sai.

"I'll have your husband back by nightfall." Sai said reassuring her as she silently nodded. If the Hokage had summoned them, she could do so little about it. Plus, she was slightly concerned herself after noticing the battered clothes on their bodies.

Back in the Hokage's cabin, Kakashi had a pensive stare as he heard about the encounter with Irene and August. He folded his arms on his desk, a thoughtful look on his face as he stared at the papers on his table for a few silent moments.

"Why did you have to take this action yourself?" Kakashi finally spoke, a grim look on his face.

Sasuke answered after a second as he glanced at the white haired man. "I thought it was best to encounter them before sending her back."

"I was the one who suggested it." Naruto added standing up for his friend.

Kakashi looked at the their faces one last time before sighing himself, "It can't be helped. I'll overlook this for now." He then turned towards Naruto. "You may leave now, Naruto. I wish to have a chat with Sasuke."

Naruto frowned at this but nodded nonetheless. "Alright."

Sasuke stared at the retreating end of Naruto before he turned his attention to Kakashi.

"So, you were hoping that some of your clan members had survived on the other side?" Kakashi asked but Sasuke remained silent. "There's no confirmation that what the enemy said might be true."

Sasuke voiced his thoughts which were troubling him for some time. His fists clenched, "It might be true. But nevertheless, I wish to explore this new land and find and provide salvation to the Uchiha clan members if they survived, on behalf of Konoha and offer them a place back in our world. Plus, the enemy seem to be after me and they said that they wouldn't stop until I joined them. I can't... I can't risk them invading leaf in hopes to persuade me."

"So, you wish to play the role of Itachi?" Kakashi asked getting straight to the point as Sasuke looked away at the mention of his brother. Kakashi sighed. "I hate to give you permission to this, but it can't be helped. Are you planning on going along with Erza when you open the portal?"

"Depends on the amount of chakra it actually requires. If it requires a lot of chakra, I might jump in right after her, or I'll just open a separate portal."

Kakashi pinched the bridged of his nose as he closed his eyes. After some careful thought, he opened his eyes. It was not like he could stop Sasuke from going on this mission if he was already dead set on that. Might as well give his consent. "Yosh! Sasuke, I am assigning you the mission to explore this new land and learn about the details regarding this _emperor_ they were talking about and if possible take care of him as you see fit. You can work covertly but as you pointed out, they need to know about your presence in their world if they are to stop infiltrating this world, so you can act as you see fit. That's all."

Sasuke nodded and was about to leave. "Wait Sasuke!"

Sasuke did not turn back but stayed still, allowing Kakashi to speak. "When are you planning on sending her to her world?"

"It depends on her once I inform her of the situation. But, it most probably will be tomorrow as I am completely tired right now." Sasuke said and took his leave.

He leaped through the roof tops, a million thoughts circling in his head and was soon at his home before he knew it. It was late at night and he expected her to already be asleep but was surprised when he found her waiting for him in the living room.

"So, how did it go?" she asked as soon as she saw Sasuke enter the living room. He stared silently at her for a minute as she grew worried. "W-what's wrong? Is everything alr-"

"I found the scroll which is supposed to help you get back to your world." He cut her off. Taking advantage of the silence as she sat still, he continued again after a pause. "I found the scroll which is supposed to help you get back to your world... or rather, Orochimaru was the one who found it and we went to retrieve it." He lied the last part not mentioning about his encounter with Irene and August. He took out the scroll from the pouch behind his back and showed it to her.

"...I-is that-"

"Yes." he confirmed tossing the scroll to her. "That's the ticket to your way home."

She examined the scroll which was exactly identical to the scroll through which she was teleported here. She gave it a brief glance before she suddenly dropped it and winced, catching her head and suddenly found it hard to breathe. The pain in her felt like someone was drilling into her brain, the pain coursing through her entire body.

Through the pain, she was filled with images of a pink haired teen, a raven haired half naked man, a beautiful blonde girl and a blue flying cat. Her memories came rushing back to her, starting with her fight with the snake in the cave and her promise to Natsu back to old Rob, who stood in front of her protectively in his final breath. Tears threatened to fall as she remembered her precious comrades who stuck with her through thick and thin.

"Oh Natsu, Gray..." she mumbled as she got on all fours. "... Lucy and Happy..." she started as Sasuke observed few tears rolling down her cheek. "... Master, Mira, Elfmann, Cana, Lisanna, Wendy..." she started sobbing as Sasuke immediately got to her side and crouched beside her, hesitating on what to do. She gripped Sasuke's vest to his surprise and buried her head into his chest. "Fairy tail... and... Jellal! I am so sorry I forgot about you guys." She wailed as she gripped his shirt even further.

Sasuke's shirt started getting wet, but that was the least of his concern right now. She was beginning to remember all of her memories and these new memories were clashing against her old ones and there was a chance that she could become mentally unstable. But Sasuke knew that wouldn't happen to Erza because she was a strong willed woman and she would pull through no matter what the situation was. He had an arm across her back to comfort her as she cried.

He had a solemn look in his eyes as he stroked her hair and hoping that she would somehow calm down. After a few minutes, he looked at her face as the place got completely silent. He could only hear the ticking of the clock and drops falling down from the tap into the sink.

"She cried herself to sleep, huh?" he thought to himself, before he gently picked her up in his arms. He opened the door to the room in which Erza slept and placed her gently on the mattress and covered her form with a blanket. For some reason, it pained his heart more than anything else to see her so sad and her face was just too much for him to look at the moment. Yet, he sat beside her in a chair wondering how he would face her tomorrow. He was so deep in his thought that he didn't notice when he had fallen asleep.

The next day the birds chirping woke him up. He saw that he had fallen asleep beside her bed and felt like an idiot. His eyes immediately trailed to the bed to find no sign of her.

All the alarms immediately set off in his body as he grabbed his cloak and rushed to the living room to find the scroll. His form relaxed when he noticed her placing breakfast on the table.

"Morning, Sasuke." she smiled at him as he slowly took a seat at the table. Before he could doubt himself whether the yesterday's events really happened or not, Erza spoke. "I felt like making breakfast for you. After all, you were so helpful and kind to me since my arrival in this land. I hope you don't mind as today might be my last day here." she said as she looked to the ground at the last part, not meeting his gaze. Maybe, Sasuke was imagining but he found a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I appreciate your concern. Thanks." Was all Sasuke spoke as they ate their breakfast in relative silence, neither looking at each other.

After the breakfast, he looked over to her. "You need to get ready. We will be heading to Hokage's office. The portal will be opened on the roof top." he informed her as he walked to the front door.

Erza who followed him after a minute, had a confused expression as she placed her hands on her hips. "You know of a method on how to open the portal?"

"You asked about my Rinnegan's ability, didn't you? That's exactly what we are going to do." he said. "Plus, others wanted to say their goodbyes." he added looking away. He looked angry for a moment, before he slipped back to his ever so calm expression and walked out of the door before she could say anything.

On the way to the Hokage's office, neither had spoken a word to each other, feeling awkward on what to say. Erza glanced over at Sasuke as he kept moving forward, wondering what was going through his head at the moment. After reaching the roof top, they saw Kakashi standing there along with two of his anbu guards. Naruto was seen talking to Sakura, and Shikamaru and Sai stood at a distance. Ino was with Hinata, and Tenten was with Rock Lee. Kiba stood alongside Choji and Shino. They all have come to know the truth of the marriage from the looks of it.

They all turned their heads as soon as they entered the roof. Ino immediately went and hugged Erza as she had few parting tears. Hinata and Tenten followed and hugged them as well. Sakura who got to know the truth about Erza, followed them after a minute.

"Erza-chan, we will miss you!" Ino said releasing her hold of Erza. Maybe she was a bit dramatic, but that's how the Yamanaka girl always was.

"I most certainly will as a fellow weapon's user!" Tenten agreed wiping her tears away. They hung a lot with Erza in the recent days, so they had gotten a lot closer and it was hard for Erza as well.

"I'll miss you guys as well." she said as she turned to Hinata. "I am sorry, Hinata. I won't be able to attend your marriage after all." she said as Hinata shook her head.

"It's okay, Erza-san. I am sure your comrades must be waiting for you."

Sakura stepped front as Erza and Sakura stared at each other for a few seconds. Sakura then immediately went and hugged Erza catching her off guard. "Thank you for taking care of Sasuke-kun all these days." she said in a low voice as Erza returned the hug.

"I am should be the one who should thank him."

She then walked towards where Sasuke was along with rest of them.

"We will miss you, Erza-san!" Rock Lee yelled showing his 'youthful' emotions. "I will do 500 laps on my hands around the village in honor of our friendship, Erza-san."

Choji and Kiba stood next to each other as they spoke. "It was fun meeting you especially all the cakes you introduced to me." Choji said.

"We are going to miss having your beautiful grace walk around in our village." Kiba said.

To her surprise, the silent Shino who never spoke a word to her till now bid her farewell as well.

Shikamaru and Sai who stood at a distance nodded their heads at her as she did the same. She then went and bowed down before Kakashi who just waved his hands in front of him.

"Thank you for letting me stay in your village and for your hospitality." she said.

"Nah... It was nothing. It is just how we Konoha Shinobi were brought up. We always help those in need and this was a special case."

Naruto was the next who just hugged her. She returned his hug as he spoke.

"Remember to spread the fame of Ramen in your world." he said wiping his tears away as she chuckled.

"I will and don't forget about the strawberry cake." They both broke apart as he grinned at her.

"Deal!"

She then turned towards Sasuke and stood in front of him. His cloak fluttered in wind as no words were spoken. She wanted to thank him for many things but found no words to express what she felt towards him.

Sasuke didn't feel the need to say anything either, as he was anyway going to jump into the portal right after her. It would be pointless to him as saying goodbye for one second and again saying 'Oh, hi. I forgot to tell you but apparently I was following right behind you. So, the goodbye was all pointless, hehe.' in her world the next second. It would be weird. But, he still wanted to hear on what she had to say.

"...Thank you for everything, Sasuke." she said as she found her throat dry at the moment. "I was alone in this world and you still helped me and held me all along the way even though I was a complete stranger to you with no memories of my own and you made it easy to adjust here. I want you to know that-... I just hope one day, we'll meet again." she finished not saying what she had intended to say. Maybe not the best time or place.

Sasuke just nodded as he stepped out to the front. Erza was disappointed at the lack of response from the Last Uchiha but still held a small smile as it was just like himself. It also made it easy for her to bid farewell to this world. If Sasuke had gone out of his way and said something like requesting her to stay with him, she wasn't sure as to what she would have said. She might have even forsaken the comrades she remembered after a long time. She just shuddered at the mere thought and shook her head.

Sasuke opened the scroll and tossed it into the air as soon as he opened it. Black markings came from it and suddenly a bright light filled the entire area. Everyone held their hands up shielding their eyes as Sasuke set his plan into motion. He focused chakra into his left eye and after a lot of strain, he stabilized the portal for everyone to see.

All the light in the meantime was absorbed by the portal. Everyone widened their eyes when they found a small purple portal at the size of a golf ball in air. Sasuke grit his teeth, struggling and barely able to stabilize the portal as blood dripped along his left cheek.

Apparently it required a lot of chakra than when he needed to go to one of Kaguya's dimension. He expected it but didn't think it would drain him so much. His right leg gave away as he knelt on one knee and started panting. The size of the portal flickered like a candle in a stormy night.

The hands to shield it from the wind were provided by Naruto. Suddenly the portal grew a lot in size and was now towering them as gust of air was produced at the sudden growth of the portal. He felt his chakra recovering as he looked down. He was clad in the Kyuubi's cloak as Naruto placed a red cloaked hand on his shoulder. Naruto nodded at him, before Sasuke focused to his front. He stabilized the portal in a few moments and shut his eye.

He got up and turned to Erza and signaled her.

She got to the front of the portal and stared at it for a minute. Finding the courage to do this, she was about to leap in before she turned back one last time to get a good look at the friends she made in Konoha. She was here for a month after all and the Konoha gang always dragged her wherever they went. A lone tear rolled along her left cheek as her form disappeared into the purple mist.

Everyone were emotional but still remained alert as the portal was still open. Sasuke moved towards it as he too turned back. Kakashi tossed him a scroll.

"It contains the mission details and the results we got of Erza's physiology. I did not have the chance to go through it but I am sure you will find something helpful."

Sasuke caught it and placed it into the seal on his left hand. "Yeah... thanks."

He then turned towards Naruto. "Naruto, hold onto this _scroll_ and keep it open all the time at a protected place. I'll try to do the same with the other one and perhaps, we wouldn't need chakra to stabilize the portal next time as the scrolls will remain open on both sides. And do not hesitate to contact me if something comes up."

"Got it. Be sure to bring a lot of allies for Konoha," the blonde grinned as Sasuke smirked.

"Must you leave as well?" Sakura asked, stepping forward hesitantly. She held a hand over her chest, "I heard about the new enemies and I am sure we can figure out something if they invade again..."

"It's not a matter of security. They are powerful foes who couldn't be restrained even when captured and I don't want anyone else to suffer anymore because of me." he said looking at his former team mate. "I also need to confirm the fact that all the Uchiha's are dead on the other side. Since we are not the only existence anymore, more of them could be popping up from other side. How I should view their world and this world... maybe I can find some allies for Konoha in there and see things through my eyes. Perhaps I'll be able to see things in their world I couldn't see in our world. Also..." he had a sad look as he paused for a second.

Sakura noticed that look on his face before when they visited Sasuke's house. She didn't want to admit it, but he looked content with Erza. Perhaps he wasn't aware of it himself, but he may have fallen for Erza, fallen hard by the looks of it. It looked like things wouldn't go anywhere until a push was given. She heard the talk Shikamaru and Sasuke had in her sleep, and based on their conversation, he wasn't going to admit about it but instead label it as a bond. Maybe he wanted to punish himself further as he thought he didn't deserve her and would probably continue on his path of repentance even there. Sometimes, Sasuke could be dense like Naruto. She already helped her blonde team mate before and now it looked like she had to do it for him as well, except it was more painful than she thought.

"...I need time to understand my feelings right now." Sasuke finished. He then turned and stared at the huge portal. His legs didn't move like he had hoped. In fact, they were struck in a fixed place. What if he didn't like what he was going to see there? What if Erza was happy now that she got her memories back and didn't want any connection with the Shinobi world, or him for that matter? Jellal, the name she remembered a lot about. What if he doesn't like the relation they both have? What if there really were no Uchiha's back there like Irene said? What if Konoha gets attacked while he was away? What was the relationship between Irene and Erza? Why were Irene and August searching for him? What did this emperor want with him? And many more questions clouded his mind as he was yet to take a step forward.

He felt a soft nudge from behind. He lost his balance and was about to trip and fall into the portal. He managed to turn back just in time to see Sakura bringing her hands down after pushing Sasuke. She held a smile like a bright day as her words bore into his mind.

"Be sure to return with no regrets, Sasuke-kun!"

And then, his mind went blank as the purple mist surrounded him.

* * *

 **Next Chapter: Grand Magic games?**

 **Until then, Later!**


	10. Chapter 10: GMG?

**(AN) Here's chapter 10. So glad I crossed the 100 review mark. To be honest this chapter was sort of difficult for me to write on how Sasuke should interact with the guild as he is the kind of guy who doesn't socialize like at all.**

 **As always thanks to Darkzero698, Devil's Darklight, Keampo, Katsu Shinshi, grither55, ROXAS, uchiha123, ZebraUchiha, sandwich master, GB108, dianadevungding, Lightningblade49, dimas_vaw, blacknredrose37, cristifilip372, Rain-XIX, Infinite_Zero9, Dark Jutten and guest reviewer. And thanks to those who put up with this fic even though it still has its issues.**

 **I tried to type the fight in the previous chapter without trying to downplay either of the characters. I may have missed few points like some of you mentioned in the reviews and I got a few references thanks to Rain-XIX. I'll try to write** **better fights in the future as you may have noticed it, as of now I am still a novice writer. I am still trying to develop my writing skills. But that's no excuse. Hopefully it will get better.**

* * *

 **(Hope you are satisfied with this explanation) Why did Sasuke struggle against such opponents when he should have just rocked the fight solo?** He isn't the sort of guy to rush in the battle with out studying his opponents. Once hear me out. He didn't go all out against Chino in the recent episode. I mean to say he is the kind of guy who studies his opponent and analyzes them before making out his move(well not in that fight, duh. She was totally raped by him). He isn't the kind of guy to crush his opponents with brute force, at least the current Sasuke isn't. If he can win a fight by dodging a lot and using basic techniques, he does that instead of trying to use his Rinnegan and Susano'o at the get go and wipe his opponents.

The thing is crushing the opponents with brute force is possible with Naruto with his monster chakra.  
Watching the Last battle of Sasuke vs Naruto; or Sasuke vs Deidara and Naruto vs Kakuzu, we can observe that Sasuke has many moves and analyzes the situation well, while Naruto crude strength and creative thinking. Just trying to plan out Sasuke that way, analyzing and speed catching his enemies off guard multiple times. Take out his stopper of not killing anyone, he will win any battle instantly in many other anime verses.

You will see the clear difference once the GMG arc starts with him participating it and when the dragons emerge. Just have some patience with me.

 **Did the time skip already occur or was Erza stuck here during the 7 year stasis?**

The time skip had already occurred. This chapter should make it clear. The infinity clock happened in tandem to Erza's adventure with Sasuke. FT were someow able to pull through without Erza.

 **I apologize in advance if there are any typos or grammar mistakes. I didn't have the time to go through the chapter. Took few references from Seeking answers.**

 **Anyway, continuing on;**

* * *

 **..**

 **Chapter 10: GMG?**

 **..**

 **Magnolia city, Fairy tail Guild;**

Erza heard a loud cry of her name as she gracefully landed on a table. She blinked her eyes to see few of her guild members stare at her in awe and the rest were... trembling? She looked back and realized the source of their concern as a freaking huge portal stood in the center of the guild. Levy was nearest one to her who was dropped back on her butt and a lot of books were around her. Probably, she was trying to figure out the scroll by the looks of it. She missed the guild a lot as tears clouded her vision.

Natsu had been the source of the cry. In the next minute, she was squeezed into a tight hug by team Natsu with Natsu grinning widely. Happy landed on her head as Lucy hugged her from behind. Wendy caught her legs as Gray stood behind playing the cool guy even though he was tearing up to go and join the group. Erza opened her arms to Gray while she stroked Natsu's hair with her one hand. Gray found himself cuddled in the group the next minute.

"Glad you are back, Erza!" Natsu grinned wiping away few of his tears.

"I told you I wouldn't waste this life which you saved, remember?" she said as the group broke the hug.

Mira walked up to her and smiled. "It really is good to have you back, Erza!"

"Levy, you are a genius!" Natsu said as he helped the petite girl up. "Just after we saved Lucy from the Infinity Clock, you brought back Erza!" he said crushing the little girl in his arms as Gajeel separated them with a scowl on his face. "You are crushing her, idiot."

"But I didn't do anything yet..." Levy protested as the guild grew silent.

Erza pushing Elfman away for a minute, walked up to Levy. "She is right. I found my way here with help of few friends." she said as the entire guild was shocked.

"You mean to say you were teleported to a different dimension?" she heard a grumpy voice near the bar. Master Makarov whom she considered as her parent, was sitting on a stool. He had a mug of beer in his hand.

"It's good to be back, Master!"

"I am glad that you are safe." Makarov said, thanking god that nothing happened to his child. "I expect a full report on the world you have just arrived from." he said as Erza nodded. She was beginning to lose herself in the feeling of a family again. No matter how comfortable she felt at the Shinobi world, it was never home to her. She felt... complete.

"Erza." she heard Cana and turned around to see her carrying a full barrel of alcohol under one of her arms.

"Glad to see you haven't changed."

"Yeah... welcome back, but what are we going to do about this?" she asked pointing behind her. The whole guild became silent again in a single day, something which was very rare. They were so rejoiced at having Erza back that they didn't bother about the Huge portal which still lay in the center of the guild.

How could she forget about something so important. She cursed under her breath as there was a possibility that curiosity would get the better of Natsu and he might land in _that_ world. That's right, she could just close the scroll. Then the portal should disappear as well. As soon as she reached to the base of the portal to grab the scroll, her eyes widened as a familiar black cloak fluttered speeding past her and landing on a table in front of Cana. She gaped as her jaw hung down and turned back to see the Last living Uchiha land in an elegant pose in front of other guild members who were surprised.

"Well hello there, hottie.~" Cana greeted him as she whistled whereas the other guild members became alert.

"Sasuke?" Erza squeaked, eyes wide as she hurriedly closed the scroll. The portal disappeared just as she had predicted but this was no time to be relaxing. Why did the Uchiha come to her world? Or did he follow her all the way here? Maybe he remembered something he wanted to tell her?

He turned around after hearing her voice. There was that calm and cool gaze that apparently had her heart flutter at the moment. She thought she would never see it or him again, but here he was! Okay, maybe she was side tracking. She shook herself of those thoughts. "Erza?" he seemed confused as he turned around to see her gawking at him. He looked around to see many confused and alert stares directed at him. They all took a defensive stance.

Who could blame them after the recent adventure they had. A random guy dressed in all black while he had the palest of skins emerged from an unknown portal. If the man was any younger and maintained the same appearance, they would have undoubtedly mistaken him for the dark mage, Zeref. Plus, he really had an intimidating presence.

Erza, who had recovered from the shock, stood in front of Sasuke with her back facing him. She had her arms in a defensive stand as she stood in front of her other guild members.

"Erza, is there a reason you are defending this stranger. Do you know him?" Gray asked.

"I do know him. He was the one who actually helped me get back. He is-"

Sasuke cut Erza off much to her annoyance. "I am Sasuke. I was the one who helped her get back to her world." No, he wasn't going to let her introduce him as an Uchiha. He needed to do it on a grander stage to let his enemies know of his arrival, not at this ... cottage, maybe? To think Erza has come from such a rundown place... he could only hope that at least other places were a bit more developed than this.

"Hello, Sasuke," he heard a voice greet him but looked around to find nobody. Maybe he was just hallucinating.

"I am right here... maybe you should get off from the table."

He got down as instructed and was surprised to see an old man about the height of Ohnoki, the third Tsuchikage standing down.

"I am Makarov, the current master of this guild." Makarov said offering his hand for a handshake. Sasuke shook it after a moment but to his surprise found the grip of the old man, quite strong.

"By guild... you mean a gathering of Wizards?" Sasuke asked, testing his hypothesis of Erza being a wizard.

"Yes, you are right. This guild in particular is called Fairy tail." Makarov said motioning Sasuke to follow him. As he was about to follow Makarov to the outside, Erza caught him by his arm.

She came close to him and whispered. "Leave out the marriage part in your details, _please_." She forced out the last part. Sasuke would have considered it seriously if she would have said it to him normally. Only the case here was that she was glaring and trembling. Perhaps she had a reputation in the guild, so she didn't want others to know.

Sasuke stared at her blankly resisting the urge to smirk. "I'll try. But if he gets suspicious on my details, I am spitting everything out." So saying, he left the place following Makarov in tow.

The entire guild immediately crowded Erza again.

"Who is that hottie?" Cana was the first invade. Understandably.

"Are you two in a relationship?" Mira chirped in. Of course, how could she forget her guild's match maker.

"Can he use spells like us? I do not sense anything from him though." Gray added.

"Who is stronger among you two?" Gajeel asked.

"Is he a man?" Elfman yelled as others gave him a _look_.

"I don't care about the details, I just want to Fight him!" Natsu declared as Gray moved over to Natsu and said something to him as both head butted. Erza moved past others and banged their heads together.

"Stop fighting you two."

"Those two have been at it since you left, Erza-san. Finally some control is brought back." Lucy sighed in relief as Wendy nodded. Erza was crowded again by other members.

Lucy and Wendy pushed others back giving Erza some breathing space.

"Now, now... Let us not trouble Erza-san who has just returned. It's better if we ask Master or that young man himself." Lucy said as others frowned but stopped crowding Erza. Erza thanked Lucy and Wendy before the guild got busy again in its daily routine.

Outside the guild hall,

"Hmm... so you wish to form an alliance with us, huh?" Makarov asked as he stroked his mustache after having heard of how Sasuke met Erza and rescued her. Of course, Sasuke left out the Irene and August part.

"Yes... after being associated with Erza, I cannot help but feel that you all are good people." Sasuke spoke, shifting his weight as he stared at the old man who sat on a wooden stump.

Makarov sighed as he looked at the young man who stood beside him. "You said you wanted to travel this world, right?... you'll need an identification while you do so. How about you pass of as a wizard of Fairy tail?" he asked but didn't expect the young man to be happy about the offer. He probably thought Sasuke didn't want to be tied down to a place... judging by his awfully similar wardrobe choice with the ace of the Fairy Tail.

"Are you sure...? I am not even a wizard."

"You can always learn magic as long as you have the heart for it and a good teacher. You can learn it even after you join the guild. But something tells me that you aren't an ordinary person. I can feel something which isn't magical pressure but similar to it from you." he suggested as Sasuke had a weary look on his face. "I won't tell them about it if you don't want me to."

"I'd appreciate that."

"So, are you going to join?"

Sasuke bowed down to the surprised Makarov. "I'd be honored to join the same guild as her. I want to learn more about the guild that she considers so dear to her."

Makarov could pick out many meanings from the young man's words just now but stayed silent. He will probably tease him later after the young man made himself at home and got accustomed to the guild. But currently, other things needed to be done. He stood up as he held his arm and smiled warmly.

"Sasuke, Fairy tail welcomes you to the family!"

Sasuke stared at the old man as he briefly just reminded him of the third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi who always considered the entire village as his family. He let a small smile grace his lips as he took the old man's hand.

"The pleasure is mine."

..

* * *

"We Legionnaires deeply apologize to you, Fairy tail." Byro spoke kneeling on his one knee. His subordinates repeating his action behind him as they knelt at the entrance of the door.

"In any case, the crisis is over. So, please raise your heads." Makarov said standing at the front with the other guild members behind him. The opposite group seemed relieved by it and stood up. "We fought... but let that be the water under the bridge. Let's start a fresh." Makarov said.

Byro placed his left arm over his heart and bent a little. "My gratitude knows no bounds."

Makarov shook hands with Byro."So, lets start the PARTY." Makarov yelled as the whole sullen atmosphere got dispelled with the cheering of other members.

Hard to think that this was the same place as before a minute. Sasuke sat in a corner as he folded his arms, shaking his head at the carefree attitude of the guild.

"Hn. Whatever... but at least they came out unscathed in their recent adventure." Sasuke spoke to himself in a low tone. The whole guild, especially this 'Natsu' reminded him of his friend when he was little, the arrogant and carefree brat who always sought trouble. He was a Dragon Slayer and apparently was trained by a 'dragon'. He received Dragon Slayer magic through his foster parent, Igneel, a fire dragon. Irene said, all dragons became extinct 400 years ago. Does that mean he was also 400 years old? Same like Irene? Or was he so deluded that he believed his parent was a dragon, But his magic was 100% real and there were no dragon lacrima in him. Need to watch him further.

All the remaining members... Well they were sort of Unique as well. Naruto would have fit right into the pack as if he had been born and raised in Fairy tail.

He caught his right shoulder with his left arm, where they had earlier stamped the Fairy tail symbol in black color. Erza insisted it on him stating that it would work as an identification while travelling the lands here. How similar she thought as Makarov. Not that he complained, but Erza insisted it and also suggested the color remembering about the travels they went through together.

The battle over the Infinity clock was over and the escaped Oracion Seis members had been returned to prison. The details about it weren't told to him but he understood that Oracion Seis was a dark guid, similar to the rogue ninja organizations back in his world.

"Let's begin the eating contest between Natsu and Dan. Begin!" Happy shouted as Natsu and the guy in an armor raised their arms before munching on the food.

"I am all fired up!"

"I am going to win this one!"

Lucy gave out a nervous smile as she sat a table with Wendy and observed the proceedings. "He's as energetic as usual."

"It seems like the infinity clock and Erza's rescue happened ages ago." Charla, a white exceed said who always accompanied Wendy.

Gray entered and stood beside Max and Warren, two of the members who didn't abandon Fairy tail even after it lost all its important members on Tenrou Island after seven years. Erza was one of them and she told him about the Tenrou incident while they searched for an apartment for Sasuke to stay.

"So, what's legion doing here?" Gray asked. Gray was part of Erza's team and one of her comrades. One of the first to join Fairy tail in his generation. He had to remember the points about the Ice wizard cause he was bound to be stuck to him later in the future and he couldn't just ignore him like he did back in his world. Otherwise, this whole alliance thing would be kind of pointless, so he was making an effort to get to know his guild members. They were technically his comrades but something about Gray's back ground didn't sit with him. His past reminded him too much of his own, so for now he would just retreat to observing him.

The one with the weird fashion among the Legion leaned against Gray's back. "We are the same as you. For us this is also..."

"Escape." Gray mumbled in a low voice, pitying himself at his current pickle.

"In other words, we are playing hooky!"

Juvia butted in between them and pushed Sugarboy away. "Don't you take up advantage of the chaos and rub up against Gray-sama!"

"Spicy..."

Gray turned back with a disinterested look. "These people are hard to talk to. Pain in the ass."

Sasuke got a glimpse of how Fairy tail usually operates by observing Natsu and Gray. Juvia reminded him of the fan girls who used to follow around him back in the academy days. Natsu and Gray's spat reminded him of his and Naruto's during the Genin days. Erza hitting those both reminded him of Sakura always punching Naruto, but it seemed a bit different here as she punched both of them.

It was safe to say the entire guild cowered in fear of Erza. Hard to think this was the same person who acted like his wife back in his world. Her entire demeanor here was a lot violent while she was generally gentle back then. Maybe this was the actual behavior of Erza. But at least her love for the strawberry cake remained the same.

"Is the guild fun, Sasuke?" Makarov asked sitting beside him. He carried the sleeping Ajuka in his arms, the daughter of Biska and Azlack. "You are firm and holed up for someone of your age. Don't you have parties like these in your world?" he asked.

Party... His mind processed back in time as he tried to remember when he had the last one. If he remembered correctly, it was almost 12 years ago before the entire clan was massacred. It was his birthday or it could have been his brother's. He didn't remember the occasion. These people had parties like these as it was just a daily routine. Sort of takes out the meaning behind having a party.

Maybe, this guild wanted to say that everyday spent here was an occasion, a party to validate that occasion. Wait... he just remembered the last one he had. It was with Erza and the rest of the Konoha gang, celebrating Naruto's marriage. He must be married by now...hopefully. He didn't know how the time worked here and there. Either way, he was now happy for his blonde friend as he finally got the family that he had always dreamed of.

As his best friend, he had no right to sulk in a corner and stay quiet. Heck, he was going to _party_ like the rest of them without trying to come off as a weird guy. First impressions were important after all.

"No, but you are right. Pardon me. I am going to get myself a drink." Sasuke said walking towards the bar where Gildarts and Byro sat. Makarov observed the retreating back of the Last Uchiha before he closed his eyes and folded his hands.

Erza sweat dropped seeing the guilds current condition before she turned to the silent Makarov. "Is something wrong, Master?" Erza asked as Makarov shook his head.

"No. It's fine. Everything's fine."

Sasuke went and sat beside Byro as his eye twitched.

 _What's with this gloomy atmosphere?_ he thought as he eyed the leader of Legion and the ace of Fairy tail staring intently at their drinks, neither breaking the silence or taking a sip.

"That side of the room's gotten gloomy, isn't it?" he heard Levy speak, if he remembered her name correctly. She was the one who almost cracked the scroll for rescuing Erza. She was highly knowledgeable in Magic related stuff. Sasuke made a point to remember this as she was one of the important members of the guild and he could not just go forgetting about his own guild member's names and abilities. She could certainly help him by providing info on Magic abilities. Part of the Tenrou group as Erza.

"Those two haven't said a word to each other, you know." the green haired mage, Biska spoke. She was married for god's sake and her husband didn't seem to mind the revealing clothes she wore. Maybe, it was how woman normally dressed here. It was a good thing that Erza forgot her memories, or it would have been difficult to journey with her wearing revealing clothes, which was kind of considered as indecent back in his world. But, it seems that Erza's normal wear was a breast plate armor and a blue skirt with high brown boots. Levy also seemed to dress properly.

Now, He felt like an idiot for giving too much attention on analyzing ladies clothes and fashion here which he never did before back in his world. The reason could be that none of the females over there roamed around in short clothes unlike here, it was a bit distracting if he admitted to himself.

"I wonder why Sasuke-san sat over there." Levy said before Cana went over there and grabbed Sasuke's right arm dragging him along with her.

"Gimme a break. That's no way to drink the booze, Sasuke. We should avoid old men's lame parties. Let those two have a grumpy chat between themselves. We will party over there." Cana said as she brought a barrel of wine. Sasuke sweat dropped,

Talk about fashion sense. This girl right here trumps all of them, leave Biska out of it. All she wore was a bikini top and blue jeans. He wondered how all the men here operated when the woman here were so... He remembered how many men back in his world had fallen prey to Naruto's stupid jutsu which he had the guts to try on him as well. Many of them had instant nose bleeds when the idiot used that jutsu.

But the men here were no different. They roamed around showing their naked form more often than not. Gray was the prime example. How his clothes always disappeared without his notice was beyond the Uchiha. Much like how his sensei always used to eat in front of them without bringing down his mask perhaps. Just tiny mysteries of the world. Worlds, he corrected himself.

"Are we two really going to finish this on our own?" He asked, as another huge barrel was brought to the table.

"Two... I already picked up two more barrels, Sasuke. We are going full throttle with this!" She declared as Sasuke couldn't help but sigh. Cana Alberona, a card mage who had joined Fairy tail even before Erza and was one of the earliest members of her generation. Lacked self confidence and has Daddy issues. Was a part of the Tenrou group. Points to remember about her.

"Our scrap left me numb." he heard Byro finally open his mouth. "I guess it's a wide world out there. I never knew there were wizards like you."

Please, if only he met with August and Irene, he wouldn't be talking so casually. If he thought Gildarts was strong, then Irene and August were monsters. He didn't even need to think about the monsters back in his own world.

"It was motivation and also luck favored me." he heard the ace of Fairy tail open his mouth. "And there are a lot of other factors too. I don't know how it would turn out if we ever lock our horns again."

"You have a broad look of life."

Gildarts grinned. "I just live selfishly, that's all."

Byro cocked his head towards Sasuke's direction. "Is he one of your guild? I never saw him in my encounter with Fairy tail."

"Must be one of the new members." Gildarts shrugged.

Byro gave a smile. "It's good to hear that new members are joining your guild. Best of luck to the future." he said raising his glass.

"Yeah, to you as well." Gildarts said.

"I wonder what those two are talking about?" Levy said as she joined Sasuke and Cana.

"Never mind that. It's just some dirty talk between old men." Cana said slamming the entire empty barrel on the table. Sasuke stared blankly at his drink _. I haven't even finished my first glass and this girl_... he wondered how would the evening go if Cana ever met Tsunade, the former Fifth Hokage. If he remembered correctly, she had a drinking and gambling habit.

He heard a loud noise THUD as he turned around to see Erza walking towards them. He ran his fingers through his hair when he noticed a beaten up Dan behind her.

"He should look for honor instead of searching for woman," he heard Erza grumble as she sat down.

"Is he the one that falls for woman in the drop of a hat?" Sasuke asked as Erza sighed in return, nodding her head. The rest of the day got over in the same way as Levy updated Sasuke and Erza on what happened in the recent adventure.

It was evening time before the Legion bid Fairy tail farewell as they left on a long mission.

The Zentopia Church's special fore stood side-by-side at the gate of the guild. "The true purpose of our visit is not a happy one."

"I figured as much." Makarov said. "This the last time we'll be seeing of you?"

Byro nodded his head. "I am afraid that is the case. Our duty draws us elsewhere, we've been charged with finding the scattered pieces of the Infinity clock. Once we return thm, they should be sealed for all eternity. However it will take some time for the Infinity clock pieces to gain any power. So we won't be able to detect them magically."

He looked around at the members of Fairy tail. "The truth is we will most likely be sending the rest of our lives doing this. Farewell, my-"

"I am going to stop you right there." Gray interrupted. "I am sure we'll be seeing each other sooner than you think." he finished with a smile. Other members also nodded and agreed with Gray while Sasuke stood in the back watching their interaction.

"Hold up Octogeezer!" Natsu called the group that was leaving. "I got to ask you to do one thing to do before you left."

Hughes chortled and reached Byro's ear, "He is still calling you that?"

"What is it Natsu?"

Natsu's lips curved up as he folded his arms across his chest. "Don't you get tired of looking grumpy all the time? Try cracking a smile now and then."

"It is true." Mary muttered.

"It certainly wouldn't hurt to give it a try." Samuel, an exceed of the Legion group pointed out.

Byro went into some thought and spoke after a second. "You once said I should try to open my heart to them, didn't you Coco? It took me a while for me to realize it, but I finally understand what you were trying to tell me." he spoke to the girl behind him as he tried to bring a smile.

"That is totally creepy." Mary laughed as several FT members chuckled. Sasuke had a smirk at this. He wondered what would happen if such a strange request were to come to him. Would he do it? Nah, may be not.

Coco turned away from the man. "It is pretty scary Lord Byro."

Byro frowned. "You were the one who asked for it!" he shouted as everyone burst into laughter as Natsu held a wide grin.

"Now then. We will take our leave."

..

* * *

"So, you mean to say you aren't a weak guild?"

"I told you about Tenrou island, didn't I?" Erza said eating her slice. "We were the number one guild in Fiore seven years ago."

"But all that changed when we were absent for the seven year time period." Cana added as they sat at a table. "The guild suffered a lot during that time and ended up this way." she said motioning him to look around the place. The guild hall was nothing more than a run down at the moment.

"So, you guys aren't exactly weak?" Sasuke asked sounding surprised.

"You shouldn't judge things based on appearance alone, Sasuke-chan."

He looked behind to see Makarov walking to the front of the guild followed by Mirajane, Erza's rival and an S class mage same as Erza.

 _-You shouldn't always judge by the looks or your impression of them_.

These words came to Sasuke's mind unintentionally. He heard of his older Itachi's words as he bent his head a little. He reminisced himself a bit longer in his dear older brothers's memories before he looked up at Makarov.

..

"Listen up brats." The third master of Fairy Tail yelled getting on a higher ground as everyone stood up. "I've decided to retire. I am going to introduce the next master to you now."

Maybe they had customs similar to that of Konoha, just as they appointed a new hokage.

"Wait. I am not mentally prepared yet..." Macao adjusted his vest.

"It ain't gonna be you."

"The next Fairy tail master-" the old man motioned his hands towards Mirajane. "Gildarts Clive!"

Upon seeing everyone's confused expression, Makarov turned back to see Mira waving her hand and handed a letter to him as his fingers twitched, dread taking over him.

"He left a letter."

Makarov's jaw hung down as he read the letter.

 _ **Master, as well as everyone in the guild, I am sorry but I am not cut out to be a master.**_

Everyone had a good laugh at this as Sasuke shook his head in disappointment. This guy was just like his former sensei, Kakashi.

 _ **Well... I will take the opportunity to give two orders as the fifth master.**_

 _ **The first: accept Laxus as member of Fairy tail.**_

"That's taking liberties..." Makarov grumbled. Sasuke turned his head towards Laxus as his friends congratulated him. Laxus himself was shocked by the decision it appeared. Laxus, according to Cana was stronger than Erza and second to Gildarts. He was also the Grandson of Makarov and heard that he caused quite a ruckus in the past bringing innocent people into danger as he thought to play a _game_ for the title of Master. That resulted in his expulsion but it seemed that he had come to atone for his mistakes.

"If that's what the fifth master wishes, we have no choice but to obey." he heard Makarov mutter in irritation but he was failing in hiding his happiness.

 _ **The second, I appoint Makarov Dreyar the sixth master of Fairy tail.**_

"Me again!?" Makarov shuddered. Even Sasuke had a smile at this. Seems like this Gildarts guy was just way too care free.

Mira then handed a separate letter to Cana... probably Father daughter talk but Cana just tore it away.

"I don't need it."

"Cana..."

"I already told you things were fine the way they were, old man!"

Makarov clutched the paper before he yelled. "Now that it's come to this, I am not going to let anyone be master again. I'll be Master till I die." he said keeping the letter away. "Bring out booze. More Booze!"

"Hai Hai!" Mira went in to bring him some booze as everyone settled down. It was pretty much normal now. Normal by their standards.

Sasuke settled himself at the bar, trying to get to know more of the other members. He turned to Mira who had just handed Makarov some Booze.

"Where is the Pink guy, blondie, the stripper and little girl with the annoying cat? They aren't around for this important occasion."

"Pinky, blonde, stripper and little girl, huh?" Mira looked puzzled as she thought to herself. Realization dawned on her as she understood who he was talking about. "Oh, you mean Natsu, Lucy, Gray and Wendy. They went to Polyruscia for some reason. They didn't tell me the reason though."

"I see... thanks." he nodded.

"By the way Sasuke-san, how did you meet Erza?" Mira asked with a smile. Hm? Oh no. Sasuke knew that smile all too well. He wasn't going to fall for that innocent smile. He heard from Cana that Mira and Erza used to be rivals. So perhaps she was trying to get some material to tease Erza later.

He replied in the best known way possible to him. In simple sentences, "On my journey."

"You don't talk much do you, Sasuke-san?"

"Hn."

Mira sighed. "You only talk when its necessary, don't you?"

"Hn."

Mira turned away and mumbled something to herself. Sasuke could hear it despite the low tone. "And here I thought I could finally get some juicy information on Erza. What a waste."

Sasuke smirked to himself in victory. So, he was right about Mira. He then heard a discussion going on and turned around. He rested his chin against his palm as he heard their spat.

"That Gildarts... Fiore's number one he says." Warren mused. He probably thought the ace of the Fairy Tail was ridiculous.

Max shook his head. "That's being too Optimistic."

Erza who listened to their conversation added her thoughts. "Oh, no. It's not. Its good to be ambitious."

"Yeah... if this were seven years ago." Warren argued.

Max added to the argument too. "But not now. Things are different."

"Of course there's Sabertooth." Azlack said.

"And Lamia scale and Blue pegasus too," his wife added their difficulties. "They are powerful guilds that can't be compared to what they were seven years ago."

That was sort of true. You wouldn't normally sit idle for seven years. You are bound to improve and develop as time progresses.

"Standing next to them, even with our main members back..."

"The Tenrou group isn't any stronger than they were seven years ago."

Macao also sighed as he spoke beside Sasuke. "There's no way we can make up for the seven year gap."

"Whether we are talking individual magic power or guild's overall strength. Becoming Fiore's number one guild is impossible!"

Erza closed her eyes. "I see. Seems like it will take some time to get back to the way we were then."

Romeo, the kid of Macao jumped onto a table. "I have already waited for seven years. I don't wanna take any more time, Erza-nee!"

"Romeo!" his father scolded.

"There is a way to become number one a lot quicker." Romeo suggested ignoring his father.

It would take some time to regain their former glory no matter how you look at it. Sasuke couldn't help but wonder at Romeo's declaration.

"T-that's-"

"You don't mean..."

Why were they getting so scared as if the little kid over there just suggested something terrible. He looked around to all the non-Tenrou members shaken by what Romeo was suggesting.

The figure beside Sasuke immediately shot out of his stool. "Forget it! I have already decided that we wouldn't be participating in that!"

"What do you mean by 'that'?" Sasuke asked as curiosity got the better of him.

Macao turned to their newest member and blinked before he realized. "That's right. You don't know this land's customs, right?"

His son interrupted. "We're gonna be in it! We're gonna be in it! We're gonna! We're gonna!"

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. At least let the old man finish what he was trying to tell.

"No, we are not! we are not! we are not!" Macao spat back as Sasuke's patience began to grow thin. "I refuse to give permission and we are not going to take part in that again!"

 _Again... What is 'that' they are talking about?_

"We're back!" Natsu announced himself. He entered along with Wendy, Lucy and Gray.

"Oh, you are back? Did you get any good medicine?" Max asked.

Lucy shook her head as Natsu and Gray wore dejected expressions. "Just Wendy."

"Dad! You are not the master anymore. You do not have the right to decide that!"

Oh, They were back to this again. Kind of got side tracked with Natsu's arrival.

"I am speaking as a member of the guild."

Gray moved forward placing his hands on his hips. "What's this fuss all about?"

Lucy sighed as she turned to Gray _._ "Shouldn't you be asking other important stuff like what happened to your clothes?"

"We all don't want to participate in it!" Macao said raising his hand. "Whose with me?"

"AYE!" all the non-tenrou members agreed.

"But we've got Tenrou group now. Plus Sasuke-nii also looks mysterious and strong. He could be our wild card!" Romeo declared as everyone turned their attention to the silent Avenger.

Feeling everyone's gaze on him at the moment, Sasuke opened his eyes to see everyone staring intently at him. He lost interest in their conversation few moments ago as it was getting to nowhere, so he zoned them out. One of the Uchiha's perks. If he found any conversation boring or annoying, he zoned them out and gets indulged in his own thoughts.

"What happened?"

Macao looked at his son with an angry expression. "He isn't even a wizard. For all we know he might be a normal person without any abilities. I wouldn't count him as strong."

Sasuke wasn't the kind to boast around his abilities, but people here were underestimating him so much. "I wouldn't call myself as normal. And I am definitely stronger than you think I am."

Romeo got to his side. He had a serious expression. "How strong, Aniki?"

"Very strong."

"That settles it then." Romeo grinned as Macao coughed gaining attention of his son.

"You know that only one person cannot fight in it. He needs other team members. We cannot win with just one person, plus we wouldn't know if he is really strong."

Sasuke coughed again as it was irritating him of how much he was being pushed down. "If you are doubting my abilities, you are most welcome to challenge me. Ask Erza if you have any doubt regarding that."

"He is stronger than me, Macao." Erza informed as Macao's eyes widened. "Even I don't know how strong he is because I haven't really seen him going all out."

Romeo beamed. "His partners could be the Tenrou group!"

Warren interjected. "The tenrou's got a seven year blank."

"What is it you guys are talking about?" The last Uchiha asked once again.

"A festival started up in Fiore while the Tenrou group were gone, Aniki, to determine the number one guild in Fiore."

Natsu stepped forward. "That sounds awesome."

Romeo turned to Natsu. "All the guilds in Fiore gather and compete with each other with their magic. It's called Grand Magic games."

"Grand Magic Games?" Sasuke mumbled as he brought his hand to his chin. All the guilds gathering in a single place and competing with each other.

"Boy, is it a famous event?" Sasuke asked.

Romeo's eyes sparkled. "The most famous one in the country. It is said to be broadcasted even in other countries."

A famous one, broadcasted to almost all the places. Seemed like a perfect stage for Sasuke to announce his arrival, especially to his pursuers. Also, a nice opportunity to analyze the strength of the wizards here. If it is about people gathering from across the country, then even customs and traditions could be observed giving him much needed info about this world.

He just could not let a chance like this slip by. But he would have to do it the opposite way of how he did back in his world. He managed all the missions by staying in the shadows, leaving a place once it was relieved of whatever problems were troubling the area but leaving enough trails to show that it was his work. In this world though, he would have to do the opposite by coming into the spot light. He was brought out of his trance as Erza spoke.

She placed her hands on her hips. "So, right now Sabertooth's the strongest guild, right?"

"But..." Makarov wondered as the seven year gap still existed. "...I don't know if you guys are strong enough to pull that off right now."

"If we win, the guild gets 30 million jewels as reward!" Romeo tempted their master for which he immediately fell.

He raised his finger with a serious expression. "We're in it!"

"Master!"

"It's impossible!"

"Incidentally we were always in the last place." The non-tenrou group protested.

Makarov threw some punches in air. "We will take that crummy record and break it! Up for the challenge, Sasuke-chan?"

Sasuke smirked at the opportunity. "Hn. I am more than looking forward to it. When is it by the way?"

"Three months from now on." Romeo provided the details.

Sasuke zoned them out _again_ as he thought to himself. Enough time to do some research on his own and be back by then for the GMG. He looked around the guild to see everyone pretty pumped and hyped up for it. He was interested to see how they were planning to cover the difference of seven years in three months though.

He looked around to see Natsu yelling as Gray stood naked. Lucy beamed alongside Levy. Wendy was showing some notes she just acquired with enthusiasm. Even Laxus seemed interested while Cana talked that they would be achieving Gildarts dream sooner than they thought. Elfman claimed to be a man while his sisters stood beside him smiling. He looked over to see Erza who stared right back at him with a smile as he smirked in return. Yes, he was hyped for it too, since the Chunin exams weren't finished last time. And the coliseum was sort of illegal. He was very much looking forward to it.

"Then its decided, Team Fairy Tail is going to participate in the Grand Magic Games this year!" Makarov yelled receiving cheers from others.

* * *

 **That's a good place to end this chapter. I wasn't satisfied myself when I wrote this, but reasonable as Sasuke doesn't interact often.**

 **Anyways, Later!**


	11. Chapter 11: The Scroll

**As always, thanks to Katsu Shinshi, Darkzero698, Zedscep, GV211, ZebraUchiha, Devil's Darklight, Kamencolin, Dr4g0nb411z, AKUHA RIKUDOU, grither55, dimas_vaw, blacknredrose37, GB108, Specter HellScythe, Dark Jutten, Boredoom, dianadevungding and reader(x2).**

 **Disclaimer: I do apologize in advance for any grammar mistakes, or typos as this is not beta-read. Do not own Naruto, or Fairy tail. Would like if someone can suggest a beta-reader to me.**

 **I have started an RWBY and Naruto cross-over. If you are interested, you can give it a try.**

 **Anyway, continuing on;**

* * *

 **..**

 **Chapter 11: Clues regarding the scroll**

..

..

Sasuke shook his head as he walked towards the rest of the team Natsu. He knew it was going to be troublesome to deal with them, especially Natsu. He was an odd ball of energy, and it was fun at first thinking of him as Naruto's and Sakura's doppelganger. But Naruto was a lot mature, and this guy was... just, what was the best way to describe. Yeah, carefree and plainly stupid.

Gray waved his hand at him. "Yo, Sasuke."

Sasuke nodded once he was near them. He turned his gaze from Lucy to Wendy before looking around. "Where's Erza?"

"She said she had some work, so she left with Master and Mira-san."

Wendy was the one to answer his question. Sasuke had a passive look on his face. "I see."

Seeing that he had nothing else to do, he turned around to leave, but Natsu stood in front of him blocking him from going anywhere.

Sasuke frowned as Natsu spoke. "Not so fast, Sasuke."

 _This is going to be troublesome._

"What do you want?"

"Since Erza isn't here to stop me, I want to have a match with you."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Match with me?"

"Yeah... why, is that weird?" Natsu tilted his head to his side. "You said so yourself that you are strong. That is all the reason I need."

"Unfortunately, I am not interested in fighting right now." Sasuke said closing his eyes. "I need to set out as soon as possible, and I was hoping to meet Erza before that."

Wendy turned to Lucy, "I thought Sasuke-san was coming with us to the training camp."

Lucy gave a glance to the Wind dragon slayer. She chuckled nervously. "Sasuke-san never said that. In fact, it was Erza who declared it preemptively."

Wendy shared in on the nervous laughter. She clearly remembered yesterday's scene where an enthusiastic Erza hopped near a bored Sasuke and asked the same question to him who replied with a 'Hn'.

As they chatted among themselves, they suddenly heard Gray's voice.

"Natsu, you moron! Why the heck are you attacking him when he isn't even a little interested?"

They followed Gray's gaze, and saw Natsu throwing a barrage of punches at Sasuke. He had his fists enveloped in fire as they both moved at amazing speeds. Sasuke simply back stepped each of his attack, dodging it with ease.

That scene reminded them of Max's fight with Natsu the other day. The starting of that fight was something similar to this. Here, Sasuke wasn't using any magic though. They were pretty sure he didn't know how to use one. But, he was really agile seeing as he could easily evade Natsu's attacks with minimal effort.

The barrages continued for some time with no luck before Natsu got frustrated and jumped back. He no longer maintained his cheery expression. It was replaced with a serious one as he wiped off some dust of his cheek.

"This guy is just like Cobra. Maybe, he can hear my thoughts too."

Sasuke closed his eyes as Natsu got into a weary stance. He thought maybe Sasuke finally decided to attack him and go on the offensive. But, what happened next confused him a bit.

Sasuke opened his eyes slowly as the red sharingan gleamed to life in his right eye. Everyone present there gasped at the sight of the blood shot eyes.

"W-What is that?!" Gray shouted.

"Maybe it's similar to Raijin squad's magic." Happy said as it took its spot beside Gray.

Lucy turned to the blue exceed. "I am not sure, Happy. If you remember, master said that Sasuke-san was from another world. Therefore, he cannot use magic."

Wendy nodded. "But maybe, they have something similar to magic in their world."

They could only speculate as Natsu stood at a cautious distance. He observed the patterns on Sasuke's right eye as his three tomoe spun wildly.

"...huh?!"

He didn't know what happened, but the spinning tomoe suddenly disappeared and his red eyes retreated back to his black orbs.

"What, man? Those were just for show, huh?" Natsu grinned. No doubt those eyes were terrifying and they were intimidating but it was only for a second. Maybe, it was for catching the enemies off guard with that, and attack them.

It was the only thing that currently made sense to him. He assumed that was the reason for Sasuke not attacking him after activating his red eyes since he was still on his guard. "Even if you can hear my moves like Cobra, it doesn't matter!"

With that, Natsu jumped into air aided by his fire boost. "Happy!"

"Aye, sir!"

Happy flew and caught him mid-air. He then flew in front of the sun blinding Sasuke's vision. He saw Sasuke covering his eyes with his hand, as he tried peeking from between his fingers.

Natsu laughed. "Victory is mine!" His entire body was then coated in fire and lightening. "Happy, leave me here."

Happy nodded as it flew a bit backwards and hurled Natsu in Sasuke's direction, with the sun behind Natsu to make sure to block Sasuke's visibility. As Natsu reached near Sasuke, he observed Sasuke jumping out of the way to disable his advantage.

"Too late!"

He went completely into lightning dragon mode, and leaped towards him at an astonishing speed as soon as he landed. His eye twitched when Sasuke's expression remained passive despite the disadvantage.

"Still confident that you will win, huh? See this- Roar of the Lightning Dragon!" He shouted, unleashing the massive wave of fire and lightning at Sasuke, who was now at point blank range. The entire area in an instant was destroyed with the blast just narrowly missing Gray.

"What the heck, Natsu?! You just killed our newest member!" Gray yelled, shocked by how this battle ended.

As the smoke cleared out, there was no sign of anyone. Natsu had a horrified expression as realization dawned on him. "W-What am I going to do now?! Erza will kill me!"

"Don't come to me saying that I didn't try to stop you." Gray shook his head.

Natsu was surprised by his friend's calm attitude. The aura surrounding him vanished as he took a step towards Gray shocked. "G-Gray, what the hell are you saying? I-I just killed a comrade. How can you stay so calm?"

"Because, he's not real and I am still not dead."

Natsu's eyes widened at hearing Sasuke's voice, but before he could even turn, a sword impaled through his chest from behind. Blood sputtered from his mouth as he strained his neck to look into the Avenger's eyes.

"W-Why?"

"To teach you a lesson to never let your guard down, even if you think you might have finished your enemy. You must absolutely make sure of that before relaxing."

With that Natsu dropped down, as his conscious slowly faded away.

The next time he came to, he was met with the sight of a smugly laughing Gray, a worried Lucy, a disappointed Happy and a nervous Wendy.

All their attention directed to him soon as he sat up. He was currently under the shade of a tree, and was apparently resting on Lucy's lap as she had a flushed expression before she embraced him.

"I-I was so worried about you. I didn't know what happened, but you were yelling in your sleep. I wanted to know about your condition, but Sasuke was nowhere around."

Natsu had a small smile as he turned to the laughing Gray. "So, what happened?"

Gray had to control his laughter to answer the confused Dragon slayer. "You got your ass handed is what happened."

Natsu maintained his confused expression as Wendy cleared his doubts. "You collapsed as soon as Sasuke-san activated his red eyes."

"C-Collapsed?" The entire battle came to rushing back to Natsu's mind as he suddenly got up. He ran his fingers across his chest to check the wound, where a sword was supposed to be impaled through, but it was all fine as if nothing had happened.

How was this possible?

"I-I don't understand?" Natsu stuttered. "I-I thought he had stabbed me?!"

Gray, who was now done laughing placed a hand on his shoulder. "It was all an illusion, you moron. The fight never happened. The match was finished before it even started."

"What?! But Happy was there too."

Happy shook its head. "It's all an illusion, Natsu. I was never there. Sasuke said so himself when he explained about what he did to you. He also said it was to teach you an important lesson while battling someone."

"I see." Natsu thought as he lowered his eyes. So, the whole sun blocking thing and that amazing strategy he used never happened. His friends became worried at the sullen expression Natsu was carrying but he was over it in an instant.

"Guess, I have to practice like hell in these coming three months."

Gray nodded as everyone had a determined look on their face. "Yeah, we all have to."

"By the way, where did Sasuke go to?"

Lucy placed a finger on her lip at Natsu's question. "I think he said something about going to Twilight Ogre's guild."

..

* * *

"Sasuke!" Erza said, a bit too loud for her liking. "So, what are you doing here?"

"I was just here to-"

"AHHHHHH!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the screams he was hearing from inside the huge wooden doors, followed by a laugh. They both currently stood outside the twilight ogre guild.

"That was-"

"Never mind that. So, you were saying?" Erza shrugged his statement, looking at him expectantly.

She flinched a little as Sasuke stared quizzically at her. He then shrugged since whatever must be happening inside didn't concern him.

"As I was saying, I-"

"AAHHH!"

"TAKE THAT, YOU DAMN BRATS!"

Sasuke heard a grumpy old voice from inside.

"Was that master just now?"

Erza had a dumb expression. "Did you hear anything just now? I know I didn't hear any!"

"..."

"So, you were saying?"

"AAAHHH!"

"Let's go over there." Sasuke pointed to a tree which was far from the guild, far from the current chaos.

She offered an apologetic smile, "Yeah, let's do that."

Soon, they reached the tree as Sasuke turned to her with a serious expression. She became nervous, wondering what he wanted to talk about.

"I am going on a journey." He said. Erza opened her mouth to protest but he raised his hand indicating her to stop. "Let me continue. I will be back by the time Grand Magic Games starts."

Erza's eyes trailed to her feet as she fidgeted around. "So, you won't be coming with us to Akane Resort after all." She mumbled very slowly. The disappointment in her voice was evident to the avenger.

Sasuke felt hurt when he saw the poignant expression she gave. She then tried to bring a cheery expression after few moments of facing him. She must have been really looking forward to this.

"Well, it's good bye then." She gave him an eye smile.

Now, he was lost on what to do. If he were to act on impulse right now, he would surely regret it later. Should he just nod and walk away like he does every time, or should he do something to cheer her? The bond he was now having with Erza was similar to the one he has with Naruto. So, he shouldn't just ignore her right now.

As he was wallowed in his thoughts, he instinctively raised his right hand and smacked her forehead with his middle and index finger. Yeah, that was right. He could do the same sign as his brother always did to him. Whenever he requested something from his older brother, he would always flick his forehead and it did annoy the hell out of Sasuke, but it used to work. It calmed him.

All the sadness he held would be dissuaded after that.

"Maybe next time, Erza."

A slight blush stained Erza's cheeks as she nodded. He then, turned around and flickered away leaving Erza to stare the spot he stood before. She could only wonder why she felt disappointment when he decided to travel on his own, and didn't bother asking her. She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Mira yelling at her.

"Hurry up, Erza! I thought you wanted to teach them a lesson."

"Coming!"

..

* * *

A month had passed.

He was now making his way through the rubble of an ancient ruins that once stood there. He continued his walking, jumping on the stones and leaping his way through. He stopped once he spotted a dead body.

It was the body of a giant snake. Its skin was burnt badly, meaning it was probably Natsu who had burned it, or Erza with one of her armors. He continued checking its body before he got to its mouth. He bent on his knees, and took out his sword and forced open its mouth using the sheath of his sword.

 _'It's fangs are nothing like the snakes found in this world. I was right after all_.' He then got up and dusted his pants.

"This was a snake summoned from the Ryuuji cave. But, who summoned it here?" He pondered.

After another careful observation of its surroundings, he burned its body using his Amaterasu. He, then made his way more deeper into the destroyed ruins. As he walked, he observed the summoning seals on the broken rocks, further confirming his hypothesis.

He also observed many engravings on the walls of the ruins, written in his own language. According to Natsu, it was something he couldn't understand. No wonder. It was a language from his world after all.

He had to use his sharingan to learn the language here, though he could only understand what is written now and still couldn't write anything on his own. It was a torture having to be taught this by Erza. She was a true demon when it came to teaching. It made sense why everyone cowered in fear of Erza.

He came out of his thoughts as he had reached the end of the passage. He narrowed his eyes, the sun clearly shone on the huge engraving on the wall, making the view as clear as seeing in a fresh water lake. Before him was a huge Uchiha fan symbol and four dragons symbols surrounding it.

As he tried analyzing the stance the dragons were in, and using the vague information provided by Irene, he came to a conclusion that the dragons were controlled by the sharingan. Irene said she married an Uchiha general. Maybe, he was the head of all the Uchihas who remained in this world.

From what he heard from Levy, dragons were extinct and she also knew about the legends of Uchiha. She was a true book worm, and he doubted anyone would recognize the sharingan eye other than her even if he showed it to them, but they all do know about the Uchiha name. That was the reason he didn't reveal his last name to them, though Erza didn't either.

The books lent by Levy meant that the dragons and Uchiha both perished four hundred years ago. What exactly had happened that led to their destruction? How was Irene even alive and what was the source of power for Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy who were first gen dragon slayers?

He sighed as he massaged his temples. It was a pretty huge topic and he knew it would take a lot of time to figure it out. So, he left the riddle for another day. He, then quickly walked towards the centre of the slab. He spread his legs as he unsheathed his sword.

"Chidori Nagashi!" He stabbed his sword into the ground, and blue lightning spread and destroyed the surrounding ruble. He stopped manipulating lightning through his sword as soon as the whole area got cleared.

"I would have preferred to do it elsewhere, but this is the ideal spot for the summoning. I can see why the past Uchiha chose this place to hide the scroll." He took out the scroll belonging to this dimension. It was true, this place was secluded and was far from any civilization, an ideal place to summon, or in his case, experiment.

He tossed the opened scroll into the air and got himself distance. Unlike the previous experience he had with scroll, the portal was stabilized after producing a gust of wind. From the looks of it, he deduced that Naruto was supplying the chakra required and was keeping the portal open on the other side. Now that both the portals were open, it should have been stabilized on the other side too, and there must be no need to supply it with anymore chakra.

"So, this is how it actually looks, huh?"

The portal was like an actual door filled with blue substance inside. He then pressed his right palm against the floor, chakra molded along the finger tips.

"Uchiha Flame formation!"

Pillars made of red flames were spread into the sky, surrounding the scroll from all sides, a single bead of sweat running along his forehead. The same jutsu Obito used to shield the Juubi during the war. But, this was a bit different. He made it work in a way, that it enables anyone from inside it a.k.a from the portal could move without any damage. It was a one way unless he was present to undo it. Meaning, no one from here could enter into the portal, but anyone from there could come here but requires his presence to go back.

He wiped the sweat of his forehead.

"That's one thing done."

He took out the flier hiring mages to retrieve the scroll. It was the same flier that Gray saw and picked it for team Natsu that led to Erza dimension travel to his world, for which he was glad in a way. It helped him resolve himself better and gave him clarity on his role now. He felt himself like a true dimension traveler now.

If he could find out who wanted the dimension travelling scroll, and their reasons for it, it could help him solve the questions he had in his mind. He frowned as he carefully examined the scroll and came to a conclusion on who was the hirer.

"This is going to earn me a lot of trouble. I might even be branded as a traitor if I go through with this."

..

* * *

Hisui E Fiore was the proud princess of Fiore and daughter of the king. She was a sweet, caring and kind person and cared deeply for her subjects. She was a slim, petite young woman. She had wavy light green hair that reached down to the middle of her back with two strands that frame her face as well as a set of tufts that obscures the majority of her forehead, with the prominent tuft in the middle reaching down to the top of her nose. She also had large dark green eyes with long eyelashes.

She had just finished her journey of surveying few lands and was on her way home. After travelling for a lot of time, they decided to take a break in a forest. The soldiers broke their march and collapsed on their feet. It was a tiring day, but soon they were going home. She wore a short dress that exposed her back and parts at the sides of the skirt. It also had a flower like pattern along the breast-line. She also wore long gloves that cover up to her elbows with frills at the end of them. She styled her hair differently, pulling it back in an upward ponytail.

Darton, her trustworthy advisor came towards her. "You must also rest, your majesty."

Hisui shook her head. "I will, once all the soldiers are seated."

Darton chuckled at the kind nature of their princess, wondering for a brief moment about the future of the kingdom as a wave of relief hit him. He bowed. "If you say so."

She got down from her horse and started walking towards an opening which was some fifty meters away with the thick trees in between.

"Princess Hisui, where are you going?"

She turned back to see Darton run up to her. Though he had just sat down, he could never compromise with the safety of the future ruler of this kingdom. "It's alright, Darton. I am just taking a stroll."

"Then I'll accompany you."

"There is no need. I doubt anyone would attack me here, in this forest. And it is not far away. Just a few meters in that direction."

"But I insist."

"You clearly need to rest. I have been taking a lot of rest and if I don't walk now and then, my legs will get stiff."

"At least take few sold-"

"Darton!" She commanded in a stern voice. The short man immediately bowed down.

"I am sorry, your majesty."

She shook her hands. "Now go and rest. I'll be back in a while."

"Yes, your majesty."

Seeing as Darton went back, she made her way towards the thick trees and bushes. Her dress was torn a bit near her knees due to the thorns, but she did not mind. Being surrounded by men all day, and only smelling the sweat and trench of her soldiers, she needed to have some fresh air.

As she got to the opening, she realized it was the cliff of a hill. They had been traveling near the top of a hill, and she didn't know about that since the navigators handled the path.

She stared wordlessly at the scene spread beneath the cliff, as the green forest stretched endlessly. The air was quiet and only the chirping of birds and air rustling against the grass filled the air. This was peace, and one of the very few occasions she enjoyed it. She was born in peaceful times, so she didn't fully know about the value of peace but knew enough as she was one day going to rule this very kingdom and it was an important qualification.

She was careful as to not go to the edge of the cliff, as it was steep over there. Her gaze wandered all over before it fell on a familiar flower just before the edge. A rare beautiful red flower that her father once said that it was her mother's favorite. It was hung by her mother's dress in her old photos. A fond, old memory of her mother.

She turned back, about to call few guards to fetch it, but decided against it. They were travelling non-stop on foot and she didn't want to break their peace and resting time. The king has to be adventurous some times.

Convincing herself of that, she got onto her knees and leaned over, stretching her right arm. It was just a few inches away, so strained her right arm even more and bent it. Her finger tips were just caressing against the petals.

"Almost." She thought to herself as she brought her left hand in front of her to lean even more. This enabled her to reach its stem in her palm. She ripped it of near its root and her adventure was successful. She was so delighted at her success that for an instance, she tried to even bring her left hand towards the flower to touch it. This became the reason for her near death experience. She tripped over and let out a ~kya scream as she rolled down the steep.

As her head rolled, she widened her eyes as she reached the end of the steep. Next moment, no ground was beneath her, and the momentum made her to fall down with her face facing the floor. The gravity began acting on her body, and she was about to experience the full wrath of the gravity, if it were not for something tightly gripping her waist.

As she turned her head back, few droplets fell of her eyes making her realize that she was on the verge of crying. Pushing the thought back in her head, she turned to face her savior and was surprised to see a complete stranger. It was a raven haired man. His both eyes were visible as his bangs were motioned downwards due to the gravity. His right eye was a normal black orb, dark as ocean's pit, but his left eye was the one that most intrigued her. It was purple in color with many concentric rings in it. It also had six comas circling them, three placed each in the starting two rings.

"What are you doing?! You almost killed yourself." His voice was deep and rash. It was kind of annoyed and irritated. He took the support by holding his left bandaged arm against the edge. He tightened his grip on her waist as she blushed at the contact and close proximity.

Reminding herself of her status and breaking herself from his left eye, she yelled. "Hurry and pull me up! Just who do you think I am?!"

The raven haired man frowned as he immediately pulled her up and dropped her onto the grass rather harshly. He, then landed in a swift motion in front of her.

"H-How dare you!"

"I don't care who you are, but if you value your life, be more careful."

Now that she observed him with a straight head, he was kind of attractive, attractive enough to make her blush a bit even as she tried to order him. He wore a complete black outfit, with black cloak except a white inner belt and the inside of his cloak painted white. His front bangs framed his face with his left bang covering his left eye.

She blinked her eyes in surprise as he began walking away. She held out a hand, "Y-You!? What's your name?"

Without turning around. "Sasuke."

"Princess Hisui!"

The guards rushed towards them as soon as they heard the scream, but found a raven haired man whose clothes were dangerously similar to the dark mage, standing a few feet away from her. They soon surrounded both of them, with more of them near the guy. The Raven turned back and faced her.

"Hisui?! As in Princess Hisui?"

She was a noble after all, even though she didn't like to put herself above others, it was a necessity of those who were supposed to rule one day. "Yes. So, do you wish to change your attitude towards me now that you know who I am? I'll give you a chance to do that."

She expected him to bow down immediately, stutter and do everything a commoner does when met with a noble, but she kind of wished inside, hoping that he was different somehow. Her wish was granted alright. But, not in the slightest way she imagined.

He had unsheathed the blade he had hidden under his cloak and pointed it at her, as the soldiers drew their weapons too. "I have few questions for you, princess."

..

* * *

 **(AN): Had written the fight between Natsu and Sasuke since many of you requested it. Hope you liked how Sasuke fought him and also him trying to teach Natsu some basic stuff.**


	12. Chapter 12: The Letter

**Hey guys, here is chapter 12. There will be few shorter chapters until I get into the GMG arc, like this and the previous one. Just a heads up.**

 **As always, thanks to ZebraUchiha, Destroyer12, Shade Sword, Zedscep, Darkzero698, Infinite_Zero9, sandwich master, Last983, blacknredrose37, Dark Jutten, cristifilp372 and a guest for your reviews, and also to those who read up until this point.  
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 **Disclaimer: Do not own FT or Naruto. Apologize for the mistakes and typos in advance. Have not reread it.  
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 **Things are about to get serious between Sasuke and Erza in this chapter. Hope you enjoy it.**

 **So, continuing on;**

* * *

...

 **Chapter 12: The letter**

.

Powerless.

The ability to influence something, be it by force, or words was power. Hisui always had such power. Though she was just an ordinary wizard, her words held a lot of power. She was the princess after all. Never in her life did she feel so helpless.

The Raven youth who had saved her, was toying with her guards as she contemplated. The guards weren't harmed, or anything but he was making them look like fools, a child given a sword and forced to attack a veteran. One by one, he was picking them off, making them unconscious using a strange magic.

THUD.

And with that, all of the soldiers were unconscious, including Darton, her trust worthy advisor. Sheathing his sword, the Raven youth spoke once again.

"You are going to answer my questions now."

His voice calm, yet it had a cold and eerie feel to it. The coldness sent a shudder down her spine, but she found the courage to answer back.

"W-Why did you attack my soldiers?"

She took an unconscious step back noticing the slight narrowing of his eyes. He seemed to take notice of it and sighed. "They were the ones who attacked first. Don't worry, no harm is done to them. The maximum would be some minor cuts and a severe headache."

She let out her breath, which she didn't realize that she had been holding in. The Raven spoke again. "Now, that aside. Answer my why you hired Fairy tail to get the scroll."

The Raven didn't miss the slight wince from her. "W-What scroll are you talking about? I-I don't know what you are talking about."

"I have the sharingan. I can see through your memories, so think before you speak."

Her eyeballs were literally bulging out now. The Sharingan. Now that she observed the calm facade of the youth in front of her, it was true that his right eye was gleaming with a strange pattern. The eyes of the old.

The Raven who was keenly observing her facial expressions did not miss that. "I take it you know about the sharingan."

Hisui understood that she could not play dumb in front of him. Closing her eyes, "I apologize for my rudeness from earlier. You must understand that a future ruler of this kingdom cannot just go cowering in front of every other civilian. You must understand that-"

"I couldn't care less about your excuse. You still haven't answered my question. Why do you want the scroll?"

Lifting her head up, she maintained a royal aura around her, though she was practically shivering inside. Speaking without stuttering in a firm voice, "To destroy it."

Sasuke was surprised by the answer. He did not expect that to be the reason, and the princess in front of him wasn't lying. He was sure of that. Taking a few moments to himself, he walked to and fro a few feet from where he stood.

Hisui was tensed, worried that she might have accidentally upset the Uchiha in front of her. Before she could even think further, the Raven spoke, "Do you know what is in it?"

"In what?"

"The scroll." Sasuke said in an irritated voice. "Do you know of the contents of it?"

"I know only so much, something about summoning the Uchiha from other dimension."

"How do you know about that?"

Hisui blinked in surprise. "So it's true?!" Regaining her composure, "So, are you from this said dimension?"

Sasuke frowned. "It doesn't concern you, and if I remember correctly, I was the one asking questions."

"S-Sorry!"

Sighing, "So, do you want to answer, or should I show you the experience of a sharingan first hand?"

Sweating, she spoke immediately, "One of my adversary told me about it. He told me destroy it, but asked me to have it done by someone else. He-"

"Who?"

Hesitating for some time, "I-It will take some time to explain his identity."

"Just give me the name."

"B-But...-" She stopped herself when she noticed the stern expression from him. "His name is Rogue."

The Raven asked her, "And where is he right now?"

She just stuck to answering his question. "In Saber tooth guild."

He heard that name before. When they explained to him about the GMG, he came to know that Sabertooth was the number one guild as of now. He turned immediately, and began walking away. He ignored her protests as he flickered away, vanishing from sight.

She only stared at where he was standing. "This is gonna suck!" Realizing that she just spoke in an undignified manner, she immediately looked around to make sure no one heard that. "Looks like I failed the task he set me to do. But..." She was surprised that she wasn't upset like how she thought she would be.

In fact, she was kind of ... Happy?

Was there some mistake in the information the future rogue provided her. She could only speculate for now, as the Raven who was now in her thoughts would definitely appear later. She hoped for that.

..

..

Sasuke sat on one of the roof tops, having a picture drawn in a paper. It had a figure, who wore a similar clothing like him, complete black. His hair was also kind of similar to him with one of his bangs covering his eye.

Focusing his attention on one of the member who had just entered the guild, he concluded that the figure was probably Rogue. He also had a cat wearing a frog suit accompanying him. Maybe that cat was similar to happy.

He liked cats. He was always a cat person. His brother used to give him assignments to get the paw prints of various cats ranging from ordinary jungle cats to ninja cats. When he first met Happy, he was kind of shocked. Not because it talked.

But because it flew. Which was rare. Then he remembered about magic, maybe this world was really mystical. True it didn't have the ideal hall that he imagined with a dark atmosphere, a crystal ball in middle and many broom sticks to the side. It was more like... Konoha.

Then he remembered about the many similarities he found between Erza and Naruto. Here, everyone seemed to carry one of his trait, though many of them were troubled by a dark past just like him and Naruto. He wondered, what if he was struck here at a young age right after the clan massacre.

Would he have given up on his path for revenge? Would he also be a cheery brat like Natsu and Gray?

It would certainly have its perks, but what was past was past, and it was made him into who he was, like Naruto said in their final battle.

Dropping without any sound, he made his way to the back door of the guild. He wasn't an idiot like Naruto, or Natsu since he is practically living in Fiore now, to barge in from the front door. He had the entire layout of the guild hall and he made his way into one of the corridors.

He stopped in his tracks when he heard few voices from the adjacent corridor.

"Sting and Rogue seemed a lot excited for this upcoming GMG. Isn't it the same every year. I wonder what's different this time."

A cyan colored guy spoke. "Rufus, they heard that Fairy tail will be participating this year."

"Aren't they the dead last guild? And this isn't their first time. What's special this time around?"

The huge guy spoke, "Heard that the old crew was back, and ready to take part this time."

Adjusting his hat, Rufus laughed. "Like they would make any difference."

"Yeah, the old relics need to be shown their worthy place. That is in the museum."

They walked further away from Sasuke, who was now sitting on the ceiling upside down. He got down once they were out of sight. "Bunch of idiots. You should never underestimate your opponents."

Shaking his head, he made his way to the room which Rogue was resting. Unlike Fairy tail, Sabertooth members had residence inside the guild. They were the number one guild, and they could afford it.

Standing outside the door, he moved his hand to touch the door.

"Rogue, why are you sneaking into your own room?"

He stopped once he heard the Neko in frog costume speak from behind him. He did not think that the Neko had that kind of intelligence to think. But then again, he had seen Charla. So, it was a rookie mistake on his part.

But, his hunch paid off. This Neko was the dumber of the two present in this guild. He researched enough to know its name. Changing his voice to Rogues and without turning back, he spoke. "Nothing Fro, just playing hide n seek with Sting."

"Fro thinks it wants to play too."

"You should go and ask Lector. He was saying the same thing. In fact, he is playing with you right now. Don't you think you should go and find him?"

The wobbly neko spoke. "Fro thinks so too, Rogue."

Seeing the frog cum cat out of sight, he made his way into the room. The sight of a startled Rogue greeted him.

"W-Who are you?!"

The sharingan flared to life. "You don't need to say anything."

And with that, Rogue blackened out. He got into his memories, and saw everything significant that happened in the past year.

Sasuke massaged his temples in frustration. He had nearly wasted a month and a half for this. And it wasn't fruitful at all.

All he got were the images of a dragon, and how he met Sting and Fro. But, there were no signs of him meeting princess Hisui. The princess couldn't lie. She was scared for her life, and there was no way she could be lying. He was sure of it.

 _'It is a bit complicated to explain his identity.'_

Her voice came back to his head. Sighing, he made sure to erase his memory from Rogues mind and made his way out. Whatever the complications were, he would learn it. He was sure he would meet her again in around ten days as the GMG was about to start, and she would be present there.

He would juice it out of her then, no need to strain himself as of now. With these fruitless results, he didn't want to return to guild yet. But, he needed to rendezvous with everyone. He reached the end of the town, and was about to exit but stopped when he heard his name being called.

"A letter for Sasuke, a letter for Sasuke!"

He turned back, and raised an eyebrow when he was met with the sight of a small talking bird flying to him, carrying a letter in its claws. He raised his left hand and allowed it to land. He was surprised when he found a letter from Erza, addressed to him from three months ago.

One of the other features available in this world. He did not carry any communication lacrima with him, and that bird must have been travelling all over the place if it suggested anything, since he was roaming all over the place for the past three months.

He bent down, and tore the envelope containing the letter. Catching it between his two hands, he began reading it.

 _Sasuke,_

 _I don't know what was the real reason for you to hide your real name, or for you to arrive here. But, I learnt about the Uchiha from Levy. I honestly didn't know about it, I would have told you if I knew. You know, right?_

 _Anyway, I wanted to tell you that you are nothing like the Uchiha I heard about. I probably still don't a lot about you, but you aren't anything like them. In fact, I was hoping that you would share- Never mind about that._

Sasuke closed his eyes, and sighed. "Maybe she doesn't know that she can erase her mistakes from the letter when you write it." He then opened his eyes, and got back to the letter.

 _So, I began thinking of what you told me during our travels in Konoha, and what you are doing currently. D-don't get me wrong, I was only thinking about it since I wanted to get the bad image of Uchiha out of my mind._

Sasuke chuckled a little. He could totally imagine her stuttering. In fact, he could imagine her speaking to him right now. He continued again.

 _Naruto told me a lot about you, and the Uchiha when they were in your village. What you are doing now is still probably for Konoha's sake... just like the Uchiha police force, still caring for Konoha, and for your friend's sake._

He was instantly reminded of a conversation he had with his brother, when he was young. It was the time his brother was carrying him back home after some training.

 _"Nii-san! Are you going to join too?"_

 _"I wonder about that."_

 _"Why not? When I grow up, I'm going to join the Leaf Police force too!"_

All he wanted as a kid was to grow up, and endure the missions together with his brother in Konoha Police force. His brother had lightheartedly scolded him then as _'Foolish little brother._ ' Of course, he had been foolish since he had no idea at the time the things that were set into motion.

He looked into distance, reminded of the fond memories with his brother. That comparison had definitely hit the spot, very few things remained from his past, and it was one of them. Maybe, he really would have joined the leaf force if the massacre did not happen, or Itachi was not forced to do what he did. It would have been a good life, but that's all just wishful thinking.

He has to carry on for his older brother, for his entire clan, and for Naruto. He was the key figure who has him connected to Konoha. And, now he also has to move forward for the new allies he made, Fairy tail and mainly Erza if he were to make any significant changes to this world, to prevent a repeat of what happened in his world.

He then began to fold the letter. Realizing that there still some matter left in the letter, he read it.

 _I heard Naruto comparing you that way, so I wanted to mention that in this letter. I also wanted to clarify something with you. I didn't want you to think of me as kind of insensitive or some random chick you talk about in the future, or hate me for speaking to you without knowing anything about you. I had hoped to talk to you about it during the training camp, but you had left so fast that I didn't have the chance. And, that brings us to this letter. I was hoping we could talk when you are back._

 _With regards, Erza._

The wind swayed his bangs from his eyes, as he gripped the letter tightly. She really was trying to understand him on her part, while he was travelling all around the place. He could feel what she felt when she wrote this letter. It was written right after he left on his journey. She was a really kind hearted girl, and he wondered for a brief moment that did he really deserve such attention even after everything he had done.

Though no one mentioned about the crimes he did when he was around, he still felt guilty. That was the main reason he had refused the hand in the first place. He wanted to atone for his sins, but here he was making another person close to him hurt... again. Changing his destination, he started making his way towards Akane Resort, where she probably was training along with the rest of team Natsu.

..

..

"I cannot allow you to go past this point."

Sasuke stopped in his tracks when a rather voluptuous figure, having waist length purple hair had stood in front of him. She was a pale-skinned woman with dark purple hair and brown eyes. Her attire consists of little more than a tabard-like garment that exposed her back. The attire is open on both sides of her body except for a small attachment at her waist, and she dons long black boots that leave her upper thighs bare.

He simply flickered and reappeared behind her. She was wide-eyed as he spoke in a low voice, with his back facing hers.

"I recognize you, Ultear Milkovich."

Turning back immediately, she found no one. "W-Who are you? How do you know me?"

A small chuckle filled the air, as she looked frantically around her. "Please tell me that was a joke."

"It isn't. How do you know me?"

"Ultear, daughter of a powerful mage, Ur, the sensei of Gray. You are one of the ten wizard saints." The voice paused for a second. "Former Wizard Saint. An associate of the now weakened Grimoire Heart, and part of a group responsible for the escaping of Jellal Fernandez, one of your pawn. He, who was forced to hurt Fairy tail and... Erza."

"Where did you get this information from?"

The chuckle intensified. "Even after telling you the crimes that you have committed, don't you get it? You are a fugitive, and there are wanted posters everywhere for you, Jellal and Meredy."

Ultear's eyes widened. "Y-You wouldnt-"

"I am in a half mind to take you and your allies, and hand you over to the rune knights. But, fortunately for you, I am in a hurry."

Ultear gave out a sigh of relief, as she turned her gaze to the bushes all around her. "I know the crimes that I have committed, which can never be forgiven. I am prepared to offer my life for it, but it wouldn't change anything. So, I decided to atone for my sins. That is the reason, me and my comrades started Crime Sorciere."

Sasuke stayed silent as he observed the purple head stand still in her place, with her fists clenched and her gaze fixed to the ground. He continued observing her wordlessly for few more seconds before he got down from the branch he was sitting on.

Sensing his presence, she immediately shot a time ball at him. He simply bent his head to the side, and avoided it. The ball came from behind as she smirked. Her smug expression fell from her face when the ball was sliced quickly by the Raven in front of her.

He sheathed his sword halfway, before quickly jumping to the side. Raising his eyebrows, he found that the ball he sliced into two had reattached itself, and was attacking him again. It was just like a new ball, as if its time had been reversed.

"So, your ability is to manipulate the time." He analyzed, slicing it once again. "I would guess that you cannot manipulate any living being, or otherwise you would have used your magic on me."

Seeing the frown on Ultear's face, he confirmed it for a fact. She was still adamant on attacking him, even though he was troubled very little by it. Getting bored of constantly dodging it, and slicing it, he changed his eyes into ocular pattern.

" **Amaterasu**."

The ball was immediately on black flames, incinerating it. A lump formed in her throat, as she was now trembling at the sight of the blood shot eyes in front of her. The ball could still be brought back from the apparent burning black flames, but the eyes in front of her had her captured in its enthrallment. She knew the eyes, the Mangekyou Sharingan since she was one of the practitioners of lost magic herself.

Master Hades had tried recreating the sharingan, but failed many times. After many attempts, he came up with something else entirely on an accident. Though it wasn't the sharingan, he had been satisfied by it, as it granted him dark magic but it was overwhelming even for him, as he could only have his right eye replaced by it. It was the demon eye. The eyes in front of her were the real deal, the eyes that could control even the dragons.

"W-Who are you?"

"Sasuke." The Last Uchiha answered, sheathing his sword as the woman in front of him had finally calmed and stopped her attacks on him. "My guess is you recognize the sharingan."

"Of-f course. I have been in the darker side for far too long. I do know of it, since it was constantly bought up in the black-market, where people were looking for those eyes. But, no one found about it, since all the Uchihas were extinct. But clearly that isn't the case here."

"No point in hiding then. My full name is Sasuke Uchiha. And before you ask, none of the other Uchiha are alive. I am the last one."

Ultear's face was still dumbstruck at finding a living Uchiha in front of her, even if he claimed to be the last one. "S-Still, I cannot allow you to go past this point, even if you are an Uchiha."

Sasuke raised his eyebrow. "I was just passing this way, since it was quickest route to Akane Resort. I am meeting somebody there. I am curios though. What exactly is going on the other side?"

Ultear's eyes softened as she looked at him. "I have been too harsh on a comrade, deprived him of his life, his love and made him into my pawn since a young age. I manipulated him as I saw fit for years, and for my purposes. He did not have a nice childhood, and I even made him attempt to kill his love. Now that he is on the path of redemption, he finally has the chance to meet with the love of his life after so long."

Sasuke scoffed. The entire concept of love was foreign to him. He didn't understand why Sakura proclaimed that she loved him, even though he had been a total jerk to her, tried to kill her multiple times. He found that absurd, but was still happy on the other side, happy to know that she, much like Naruto, never gave up on him and continued to care about him.

Though a foreign feeling to him, he still decided to respect it. "I will be sure not to disturb them."

He began walking past her. She stood still for few moments, before she became confused as hell and began chasing after him. "Why are you still going that way? I thought you said you will not disturb them."

"And that is what I'll do. I will walk past them silently." He continued to walk ignoring her protests. It would be a drag to go around the hill, reroute his way. Maybe, he will just glance at the love birds on his way, and think of something to say to Erza when he reaches her. "Anyway, I heard that you formed Crime Sorcier seven years ago. He must have been a part of it from the start. I think it is too long for a reunion, don't you think?"

"It wasn't by choice. He would have, but he couldn't. Rather, he wasn't able to."

"Why? Rats got into his pants."

Ultear continued chasing the Raven, who was walking ahead of her. "No. You see... she was thought to have died. But, it turned out she was alive all this time, and stuck on an island for seven years."

Dread filled Sasuke's gut as she spoke. It seemed a lot familiar. Wanting to confirm the feeling that twisted his gut, he asked her. "This 'he' you mentioned. Is he some other person you had rescued?"

"You said so yourself. I helped only one person and it was Jellal, and the person he loved was-"

"Erza."

Ultear had a surprised expression. "Wow, you are like a psychic. Are you sure that you know you can read people's minds? ...Hey, what's wrong?" She stopped herself as she noticed the Uchiha had halted. She rushed beside him, as they both stood at the ledge of the cliff.

She saw him staring down, his jaw hanging slightly down and a solemn look on his face. She followed his gaze, and found Jellal on top of Erza, who was actually wearing a simple dress on her swimsuit.

She gave out a whistle, as her expression turned to a perverted grin. "~Wooh! Jellal did not waste any time getting back with her. I would never have guessed Jellal to be so aggressive."

Meeting with silence from the person standing beside her, who was just commenting on everything she said, she patted his shoulder. "What's wrong? Dumbstruck by the love birds in front of you? Ha, who's got rats into- Hey! Don't ignore me!"

She ran after the Uchiha who was now walking away in the direction he came from. "I thought you were supposed to go the other way around."

"None of your concern."

She reeled back in surprise at the cold reception "Wow, somebody's pissed. I thought you were supposed to go to Akane resort."

"Just mind your own damn business, before I take you to the Rune knights."

"Ha, you can try."

The last Uchiha had stopped. The air felt suddenly chilly, and she was beginning to regret for taunting him. The tension felt like you could cut it with a knife, which had filled the air ever since they witnessed Jellal and Erza. Then realization dawned on her. She spoke softly, "The person you were supposed to meet at Akane resort... is it Erza by any chance?"

"..." The Uchiha did not reply, and started to walk again.

Ultear did not further chase after him. She just stood in her place, and wondered what kind of relation the pissed off Uchiha had with Erza. She was so deep lost in her thought, that she did not sense Meredy sneaking up behind her and smacking her on the head.

"Ow!"

"I thought you were watching over Jellal and Erza, and recording their moments. We had a plan to tease Jellal afterwards, remember?"

Ultear ignored her question, as she continued rubbing her head. "I think I might have just made things worse."

"How so?"

"There is this guy, Sasuke-"

"What!?" Meredy blinked in surprise. "You met him here! Gray was just telling me about him, and the strange powers he wielded."

Ultear raised her eyebrow. "How does Gray know him?"

"He is a member of Fairy tail, their trump card in the GMG. In fact, he is the newest addition."

Ultear's face had gone pale. "Meredy, find me a good place to jump from?"

"What for?"

"To die. Apologize to Erza later for me."

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 **A good point to end, I suppose. Anyway, not many chapters left until the GMG starts. So, fingers crossed hoping that I can pull it off.**

 **Addressing few questions,**

 **!) Genjutsu works on people who don't even have chakra. It was shown in the Kaguya arc. Plus, I think Jiraya mentioned something about it in the Naruto series. True, dragons cannot be controlled by sharingan, but the mangekyou was shown to have the ability to control even the nine tails, which according to me is stronger than most, if not all the dragons. So, I think it would be legit to say a dragon could be controlled by a mangekyou.**

 **2) Natsu has great battle sense. He personally never faced anyone in his guild with eye magic though. All it takes is one look to be under Genjutsu instantly, which I think Sasuke can easily accomplish given his current level. And, you control shit in a genjutsu, depends on the caster on what he wants the other guy to think, or sense.**

 **3)Heine and Juliet would have withstand even more, they shouldn't be simply defeated by a kick from Naruto and Sasuke- I did show that, they held their own against team Taka. But, when you have Naruto and Sasuke fighting you, people who are at least planet level, I think a kick would be enough to knock out a weaker opponent. They literally toyed with Momoshiki in Boruto movie with their Taijutsu. Well, that's that.**

 **Until then, later!**


	13. Chapter 13: GMG Begins!

**Hey guys. Been busy with few exams. They are completed, for now.**

 **Anyway, I have decided to start the GMG arc in this chapter, so here it is. Things are also going to take interesting turns as GMG progresses.**

 **As always, thanks to dimas_vaw, Katsu Shinshi, KerinSantiago, GV211, taran taran, Destroyer12, Destsword, someone, Dark Jutten, ZebraUchiha, Tellsofabyss8, Lucie4512, StopTeasing, Rain-XIX, blacknredrose37, Lightningblade49, nsymina, Specter HellScythe, cristifilip372, Josephantom and guest(x4) for your reviews.**

 **Going to rewrite starting few chapters, will put up a notice in the next chapter when I finish rewriting it.**

 **Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto, or Fairy tail. Didn't have time to check on the mistakes, will reupdate them when someone points it out.**

 **Anyway, let us get on with this fic;**

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 **...**

 **Chapter 13: GMG starts**

Erza had returned along with her teammates from a rather tiresome training camp, not to mention the utter failure of it other than meeting with Jellal. Seeing almost everyone present there, with the exception of Cana, Laxus and Gajeel, she could not find Sasuke anywhere.

She frowned a bit, remembering about the letter she sent, and Sasuke's promise to her. Turning to Mira, who stood beside her along with her siblings, she whispered. "Mira?"

Mira looked around when she heard her name being called, her smile widening when she saw Erza motioning her to come towards her. She clasped her hands behind her back, and made her way to Erza.

"Hm?" She nodded.

Erza looked around, before turning back to her, "I don't see Sasuke anywhere. Isn't he back yet?"

Mira looked at her rival, before shaking her head. "I am afraid he still hasn't returned. But, don't worry, he will be back before you know it, Erza." She added the last part in a slightly mischievous tone.

Erza stuttered immediately, "H-Hey! W-What's that supposed to mean?"

Mira giggled into her open palm, before she looked back at the red head, "You can be so dense, that sometimes I wonder if you will ever find a boy friend in future."

Erza blinked, before she became infuriated. "Why can't I get myself a boy friend? Are you implying that I can't get myself one?"

Mira brought her finger to her chin, "No. I mean half of the times people are scared of you, that they don't see the real, and beautiful side of you."

"What do you mean people are scared of me?"

Mira waved her arm in front of her, "Erza, most of the members of our own guild are afraid of you, with the exception of Laxus and Sasuke. Even master gets scared of you."

Erza crossed her arms. "That's because our guild members lack the discipline, and they know that they shouldn't mess with my strawberry cake."

Mira stared blankly, before giggling again. "See, this is exactly what I mean."

Erza adjusted her armor piece on her right forearm as she spoke with a look of determination, "Enough about getting myself a boyfriend, Mira. Maybe you are right. I don't know how to act in front of others, or pretend. But if anyone is dumb enough to fall for me even with my quirks, I would be most happy, and would definitely give them a chance. But, right now, our guild needs us more than ever. We cannot afford to get sidetracked."

"I see." Mira mumbled in a low tone, her gaze falling onto her sandals. "So, this is what _he_ sees in you, huh?"

"Who sees what?"

Mira shook her head, "Nothing. Look! Master is motioning us to come."

Erza looked to where she was pointing, "Yeah, you are right. Let's go."

Makarov cleared his throat as everyone present in the guild stood around him, "Ok, now I will announce the five members who are going to represent us in grand magic games."

"Natsu Dragneel."

Natsu wiped the tip of his nose with his forefinger, "It is a given!"

"Gray Fullbuster."

Gray stood with his arms in his pockets, nodding, "Of course."

"Erza Scarlet."

Erza nodded.

Mira clasped her hands in front of her, "Well, those three were going to be selected anyway."

Elfman was crying manly tears from beside. "Being selected like that is very manly."

Lisanna smiled and spoke from beside, "You are right about that, Elfman-ni!"

"And the last two members, Lucy Heartfelia, and Wendy Marvel."

At this, the two fore called girls panicked. They would of course be panicked since there were still a lot of people stronger than them in the guild. Lucy, with her entire form shaking questioned her master, "A-re you sure?! We are weak, not to mention we did nothing productive in the training camp."

Wendy had tears in her eyes, not one of happiness but mainly due to lack of confidence, "M-Master, what happened to Laxus-san and Gajeel-san?"

Makarov closed his eyes, "I would have liked those two to be part of the team, but they still aren't here."

Lucy deadpanned, feeling slightly relieved. "So, we are just the replacements, huh?"

Natsu spoke up from beside, startling Lucy, "Master! What about Sasuke?! I want to have a rematch with him, but I can't see him anywhere."

Master Makarov hummed, before nodding indifferently, "The same story as Laxus and Gajeel. He should be back by now, I wonder why he is getting late." Master said, as Erza looked down having wondered the same thing.

Everyone in the guild went to chatting to themselves at this statement. The new guild member, was from another world just like Mystogan. If he was anywhere near strong as Mystogan too, there would be no problem at all. Plus he looked mysterious, and apparently has Erza, the figurative demon of the guild show a completely new side they weren't aware of before.

Erza was always known to care for her guild, and guild mates though she never spoke sweet words like Mirajane. She showed her concern for them by rising up, and beating tougher enemies whenever the situation demanded, or her nakama were in danger. Like Gray, many have realized that she needs the guild more than the guild needs her which was shown in her battle with Asuma.

Sure, she was scary especially if strawberry cake, or the most trivial things were involved. She was like the strict father of the guild, never showed any feminine side other than when she gets flustered, or embarrassed. Though she has opened up a lot since she became part of team Natsu, she was still scary and struggled to show the compassion she had for them. So, she often came off as frightening, and terrifying.

But, this new guy... Since his arrival which was very short, he had already shown many different sides of her which they didn't know had existed. She often got flustered around him, or would argue with him verbally, mind you.

She acted more like a... woman. Everyone knew she was beautiful, but the reason no one ever made any pass on her was because she was even more scarier, and they were afraid to approach her. But, around him, she seemed more approachable.

Now that they thought about it, they need to thank the guy when he returns.

Makarov clapped his hands, breaking their chatter, "I know you all are interested to see how Sasuke fights, and honestly I do too but he hadn't returned yet. If he returns, he could always participate in the middle of the games."

Seeing that everyone had calmed down, most of them nodding in agreement with him, he shouted. "Now, Let us go the GMG and show them the might of Fairy tail!"

..

..

Sakura with tits.

Sakura with tits.

Sasuke's mind was in a frenzy, ever since he arrived the capital of Fiore, Crockus. Master Makarov had named, and decided to put him in team B of Fairy tail.

He was put off a little when he was put in team B, but honestly he didn't care. His team mates also didn't seem to mind the fact, other than the loud mouth with Iron piecing on his body. It also helped him a little by being in a different team from Erza, since he didn't know what to talk if he faced her.

He had immediately thought to return to the guild, ever since he witnessed the scene. He even considered returning to Konoha briefly. He didn't know why he was getting frustrated at the tiniest of things, which he never bothered before. In the end, he settled with Cana as his drinking partner, in the adjacent town for the last few days.

He was never quite a drinker. His rational mind came to think of a lame reason, that he was _home sick_.

But, he knew inside that it was highly improbable, since he was away almost the entire time, but never felt that way before. He never felt home sick since he came to this world. In fact he just treated it like he was travelling any other place.

Ever since _that_ , this world was seeming more and more foreign to him. He was starting to feel unsettled, and in his mind he made it clear that it wasn't due to Erza. She was his nakama, and he should be feeling happy for her. But, he felt uneasy. His rational thinking came to a conclusion that, since he always treated Erza as his wife at back home, he was unable to think of her with someone else.

He constantly reminded himself that she was different now that she got back her memories. She was a blank slate back at home, acting the ideal way according to Sasuke. She was perfect girl for him back then.

Here, she was completely different. She seemed a lot less like back then, at least she was grateful enough to act a bit like she did around him.

Now, back onto the Sakura with tits.

Meredy, the companion of Ultear reminded him greatly of that above notion. She stood along with Ultear, as Jellal who was now disguised as Mystogan walked towards them.

"I am sorry to have caused trouble to Fairy tail in the past." The guy spoke, his gaze moving from Mira who stood at the side to Laxus, who was in the middle with Gajeel to his left, and a new guy, aka Sasuke at the back.

"I am sure we all have our regrets, but it is all in the past now." Mira smiled as she spoke.

Gajeel smirked, "I hurt Fairy tail in the past too. But, they- no, we are nice and forgiving people. Don't fret about it."

Laxus put his arm around Mystogan, a. k. a Jellal's shoulder. "Remember, Mystogan is very broody and doesn't talk much."

"Broody?"

"Broody in the sense... yeah, just like that guy." Laxus pointed to Sasuke, who scowled in response.

"Yeah, so says the future ace of Fairy tail who got placed on team B."

Laxus' eyebrow twitched, "You are a member of team B too. Remember?"

"Hn, but I wasn't the impatient brat who couldn't wait his turn to become the master."

A bit of lightning flickered around Laxus as Sasuke smirked. He got successful, yet again in riling up a blonde.

Mira pouted, and got in between them. "Enough, you two. Laxus save it until the tournament starts. And, Sasuke do not taunt him further."

"Hai," Laxus waved his arm off, and stepped back.

"Hn."

Jellal looked at the exchange with some interest, before he noticed something. "Do I have to wear black too?"

Laxus grunted, "Mystogan is anyway a broody type. It won't be necessary."

"What do you mean?"

"Jiji asked us to wear similar color outfits. But since Mr. Uchiha here wasn't interested in wearing anything new, we had to switch to his color of clothing, which is mostly black if you noticed."

Sasuke had shared his clan name with them, since his target was someone from outside. He only shared his name, when he became absolutely sure that all the members of the guild were innocent. He expected a mixed reception, since the Uchiha clan's reputation here was equally infamous as back in Konoha. But, they didn't seem to care about that a lot.

Uchiha clan, according to books here was a strong clan wielding strange eye magic in addition to their magic. They were co-existing with dragons just like Belserion Kingdom but it wasn't peaceful like in Belserion. Here, the dragons were under the rule of Uchiha's with their last king killed in action before the dragon king's festival took place.

They had many kinds of members, few ruthless, few kinder souls and few traitors. But, they were all extinct. That at least was the public knowledge.

Jellal, much like Ultear recognized the Uchiha name. He moved forward, and extended his hand. "Hi, I am Jellal. I am sure we haven't before."

Sasuke followed his gaze on Jellal, from head to toe, and then to Ultear behind him who had smacked her forehead. He ignored the hand shake, as he just nodded, "Sasuke."

He then moved past him, resting his hand on the rail of the building top they were at. Jellal, feeling awkward at his greeting being ignored, slowly slid his hand back. He felt the atmosphere heavy all of a sudden, like somebody had just switched an oven and left it open. And as luck would have it, the rest also became silent at the sudden change in air.

Ultear spoke dispelling the silence that seemed to hang in air for an eternity. "Sasuke, here is the last living Uchiha, Jellal." She ignored the glare sent her way as she spoke. "He isn't from this world, much like Mystogan."

"I know." Jellal answered, his tone a bit different. Sasuke raised his eyebrow at the sudden change in the tone from the humble guy. He was surprised when he felt slight animosity directed towards him from the blue haired guy.

"You know?" Ultear was quick to ask.

Jellal nodded slowly, "Erza told me about him."

Erza told about him. What in the world could she possibly tell about him? Like how he helped her? The urge to know what she spoke was killing him both due to anticipation and fear.

Before Sasuke could open his mouth, a loud screech filled the air, followed by the clock striking twice.

"What's happening?"

Mira looked around, equally confused as the building suddenly shot towards the sky. "I don't know."

Sasuke latched onto the ledge, as he looked towards the other buildings which shot up too. "I think it has something to do with the clock striking twelve. Our inn which they gave us to stay was probably rigged to shoot up at twelve."

Laxus nodded in confirmation, "I think you are right on that. I felt suspicious when they assigned inns to us."

"Guys?"

They all turned towards Gajeel who spoke pointing to the sky, "What in the freaking world is that?"

"Pumpkin?" Sasuke raised his eyebrow, as a huge projection illuminated the night sky. A short guy wearing a pumpkin mask was projected, whose smile was mischievous, just like that of a prankster who knows that their prank worked.

"A three dimensional image, huh?" Laxus crossed his arms.

"[EVERYONE IN THE GUILDS WHO HAVE GATHERED TOGETHER FOR THE GRAND MAGIC GAMES, GOOD MORNING!]"

"Good morning!" Meredy yelled back as they all looked at her, before silencing herself under the gaze of the rest.

"[STARTING FROM NOW, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THE 113 PARTICIPATING TEAMS AND HAVE AN ELIMINATION ROUND TO PARE THEM DOWN TO EIGHT!]"

Jellal put on his bandana, "It seems that we are going to have an Elimination round right now."

Sasuke turned towards Ultear, "Do you know anything about the GMG last year?"

"Yes, we watched it, but never entered the arena."

"Was there any elimination round last time?"

Jellal answered for him, "No, there wasn't."

Sasuke stood still in expectancy. This was just like the second round of Chunin exams, where they had hoped to narrow down the teams. But here, it was narrowing 113 teams to just eight.

"[EVERY YEAR, THE NUMBER OF PARTICIATING GUILD INCREASES AND IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT EVENTS WERE GETTING STALE. THIS YEAR, THAT IS WHY ONLY EIGHT TEAMS ARE GOING TO COMPETE IN THE OFFICIAL GAMES. THE ELIMINATION RULES ARE SIMPLE.]"

Steps formed in front of them, floating in the sky.

Sasuke observed the steps with interest. _Magic, huh?_

"[ALL OF YOU ARE GOING TO RACE EACH OTHER. THE GOAL IS THE GAMES ARENA, DOMUS FLAU. THE FIRST EIGHT TEAMS TO ARRIVE THERE WILL GO ON.]"

"I think we are supposed to follow these paths." said Mira, getting herself ready.

"[YOU ARE FREE TO USE YOUR MAGIC. THERE ARE NO RESTRICTIONS. BUT, REMEMBER,ONLY THE FIRST EIGHT TEAMS TO GET TO THE GOAL WILL SURVIVE THIS ROUND. HOWEVER, ALL FIVE MEMBERS MUST ARRIVE TOGETHER OR IT DOESN'T COUNT! AND ONE MORE THING, WE TAKE NO RESPONSIBLITY FOR LIVES LOST IN THE LABYRITH. SKY LABYRINTH... BEGIN!]"

"Is that the labyrinth?" Gajeel said pointing towards a huge globe kind of sphere above the 3-d projection.

"I guess that must be it." Laxus said, disappearing in a flash.

"Tch," Sasuke immediately flickered, and was seen sprinting on the steps followed closely by Mira.

"Gee Hee!" Gajeel shot towards the stairs too, extending his hand into pole, and using to boost himself.

" **Meteor!** " A yellow magic circle appeared under Jellal, as he flew past Sasuke and the rest with a golden trail leaving behind him.

Sasuke reached the sphere, and looked around to see many weird objects floating in the sky. Many confusing paths, and mirages were present, and if one weren't careful, they would end up falling leading to their elimination.

 _All of the team members should be present near the door. Supposed to work as a team, huh?_ Sasuke sighed, and closed his eyes. _Not a shred of team work. I need to stop Gajeel first._

"We are supposed to go together!" Sasuke shouted to the energetic Gajeel who entered the sphere just after him, but was showing no signs of stopping to wait for Mira.

"I will wait for you at the finish line, Sasuke!" The dragon slayer grinned.

Sasuke immediately shot forward flickering, and stood in front of Laxus who was at the front, speeding away. Laxus immediately stopped, his eyebrows raised and a surprised look claiming his otherwise smug face.

"I am surprised that you caught up with me." Laxus said. "But, it looks like it isn't the same for others. So, why exactly did you stop me?"

"Even if you and I sprint, we need to get there together. Just running is pointless." Sasuke said, but stopped himself as Jellal had reached them. He waited patiently as Gajeel and Mira caught up with them.

Gajeel was panting slightly, "What the heck is with your speed, man!"

Sasuke ignored him. Reading underneath the underneath, was a shinobi's duty. He easily understood what was to be done. "The true purpose of this elimination round is just as it sounds. It is not a matter of speed, but of eliminating your opponents. You must always read the underneath."

"Eliminating them?"

He turned towards Mira, "Yeah, we will all sprint towards the door, but together. The lesser the competition the better. Then, we steal the maps that they made about the place."

"I am starting to like the sound of it!" Gajeel said, punching his fist into the open palm of other.

"If we are lucky, there might be a flashy door awaiting us." Sasuke said in a sarcastic tone.

Laxus smirked, "Well, then. Lead away."

"Let's go!" Sasuke started sprinting, with other following behind him.

The path to the door was way easy, with Sasuke acting as the guide with his sharingan. All the opponents they encountered were quite weak, Sasuke disappointed greatly by their level.

Few of them seemed to stood up, like team B teams of Blue Pegasus, Lamia scale and Sabertooth. But, even they didn't seem to size up to Gajeel and Laxus who just blew them away with their respective dragon slayer breaths. Jellal, and Mira just stuck to following Sasuke, while Laxus and Gajeel took care of the obstacles in their path with Sasuke acting as their anchor.

They met the same pumpkin head who was seen in the projector.

Sasuke's brow twitched, as Laxus placed his hand on his shoulder. "You were right, _leader_."

"Sasuke, there really is a flashy door with GOAL written on it. Great guess, leader." Gajeel moved to stand beside them.

Mira smiled comforting Sasuke, "Good work."

The pumpkin head coughed into his hand gaining their attention. He, then spoke, "Mystogan!"

Jellal adjusted his bandana, "That's me."

"Mirajane Strauss!"

Mira smiled, "Here."

"Gajeel Redfox!"

Gajeel grinned, "Gee Hee."

"Sasuke... what? Is this correct?"

Sasuke looked at the piece of paper that the pumpkin head had, and nodded, "Just as it sounds."

"Ok... Sasuke Uchiha!"

Sasuke closed his eyes, "Hn."

"And, Laxus Dreyar!"

Laxus smirked, "Right."

"Congratulations! You have passed the Elimination round!"

Gajeel folded his arms, "Of course, it was easy."

Sasuke looked at the pumpkin head who had that _same_ smile, "So, tell me something Pumpkin. Who all came before us?"

Everyone in his team was confused at his question. They looked amongst themselves, before Mira spoke, "What do you mean Sasuke? Aren't we the first ones here."

Sasuke shook his head. "I don't think so. He would have greeted us differently if we were the first one to arrive." He then looked around, "Plus, I did not see Sabertooth team A guild anywhere. They aren't the strongest just for title purpose."

"Is it true that we aren't first?" Laxus asked the Pumpkin dwarf, who nodded in confirmation.

"He is right. But, there is only one team which reached here barely ahead of you. You are second."

Gajeel muttered in frustration, "And let me guess, the first one to reach is Sabertooth?"

"Yes."

"Hn, at least we qualified. So, it doesn't matter. Let us go." Sasuke said, and walked towards the door.

Mira and the rest followed him, as she spoke to him. "Let us just hope that the other team also qualifies."

Sasuke lowered his head a little, "Yeah, let us hope so."

..

..

Team Natsu stood in their new outfits, which was purple in color. Everyone seemed pretty pleased with their dress, except Natsu and Elfman. Elfman had a genuine reason, but Natsu was simply pouting and being irrational like a child.

They had barely managed to get past the elimination round by the scruff of their neck. They were so high up in the sky, thinking that they were the first ones to qualify until they were harshly pulled back to the ground. Reality can be so cruel sometimes.

There was still no word from Sasuke, or Laxus, or Gajeel. Lucy gained enough confidence in herself during the elimination round, but the concern for Wendy remained. She was missing since the round started, and thus Elfman was forced to take her place.

She was found completely drained out of magic, and Polyruscia had to be called to attend her. The place where they found her, and her symptoms were strange, but the last thing she remembered was red eyes knocking her unconscious.

Who could have plotted something on her?

Was Wendy their target, or the entire Fairy tail?

Erza needed to talk to Sasuke soon. Her nakama were in danger, and maybe the Uchiha found few clues as to what was happening around. She could only wait for him, as she continued to observe Natsu who was complaining about his clothing.

Crowd started to fill up the Arena, and apparently the crowd cheer started to get louder.

"That sure is some cheering." Erza looked back at the entrance into the arena.

Lucy nodded as well, "I didn't realize there would be so many people."

"Both the Fiore wizards, and a ton of regular spectators, it seems," Gray also turned towards the bright light, standing without his clothes on him as usual.

Natsu didn't seem to care about that, as he wallowed in his own thoughts, "You know, I really don't like this outfit."

Lucy huffed, and placed her hands on her hips, "You have been whining about it from the start. Besides, its too late anyway!" She spoke as she continued, "Master told us to wear matching team colors, right?"

Erza smiled with a proud look on her face, as Gray did the same beside her.

"I like mine. It's cute."

"Yep. Same here."

"Say that after you put on some clothes!" Lucy shouted.

Elfman was busy in his own world. "I am finding it hard to believe, but how am I supposed to fit into this?" He said holding a small purple skirt in his huge bulky hands.

Natsu clutched onto his stomach, holding back his laughter, "That is big surprise!"

The rest gathered around the half naked Elfman as Lucy spoke first, "You won't fit into Wendy's outfit, huh?"

Gray placed his hands on his hips, "The problem is your body got a lot bigger."

Elfman sighed before settling into a blue jacket and black pants. "It can't be helped. Let us go!"

They walked until they reached near the entrance into the arena. They stood there together, waiting for their name to be called. The crowd cheer only seemed to get bigger by the passing second.

"The crowd must be really hyped for this," Lucy spoke, shaking her eyebrows a little.

Erza nodded, "It must be due to the fact that only eight teams are participating this year."

"You are right." Lucy said, as silence filled around them, despite the loud cheering of the crowd. She spoke again, thinking about Wendy and the current condition she was in. "Is the person who harmed her someone connected to this tournament?"

"It's possible." Natsu said from beside.

Gray leaned a bit forward, "Someone may be trying to weaken us, or..."

"All we can do now is this! We gotta do our best for Wendy's sake, too!" Elfman stood tall.

"[Ok, the players are about to take the field!]"

At this, team Fairy tail started moving forward into the bright light.

"[Starting with the eighth ranked team! Can they recapture their past glory?! The group whose name clashes with their rowdiness! Fairy tail!]"

Natsu raised his fist, at the announcement of their guild name. They all expected some cheering, but were met with boo's everywhere.

Natsu looked at the crowd in surprise, having expected at least some cheering for them.

"[Fairy tail has come in last place every year, but they survived the elimination round, though even in that, they are the eighth place. Will the tenrou bunch that created a sensation with their homecoming, now will they become Fiore's number one?!]"

Lucy bent down her head, but Erza turned towards her, "Don't let it get to you."

Yajima, the other commentator spoke, "[I'm just glad they're back.]"

"FAIRY TAIL! FAIRY TAIL! HOORAY!"

Team Natsu's heads perked up, at the sudden loud cheering for them which silenced the entire crowd briefly for a moment. They were glad that their guild still had their back, and continued to support them when they were downcast.

Erza smiled, "As long as we've got the support of our comrades, that is all that counts."

Natsu nodded, before something rather someone caught his attention, "Who is that?!"

"No way!"

Erza took a step forward, "How...?!"

A little girl, who looked exactly like an angel was cheering them from the booth where the guild sat at. Even the entire guild fell silent at that.

"Master Mavis!" Makarov spoke up.

Mavis, the little angel turned towards Makarov, as she smiled, "I have come to show my support."

Makarov's eyes were almost bulging out, as he repeated her words, "You came to support us?!"

"It is fine," Mavis reassured Makarov as she continued, "Only those bearing the guild's insignia can see me."

"I, uh, don't know if that's the issue..."

"After all, I've got nothing to do being coped in Tenroujima all the time."

..

Natsu laughed as he rested his hands on the back of his head, "It is encouraging having the first master here to watch us!"

Gray sighed, "But, she is a ghost."

"[Alright! Let's move on with the team that finished seventh, the hounds of hell, Quatro Cerberus!]"

Five men entered the arena at the cue. The one standing in the middle, had orange hair, as he extended his hands, "Wild Four!"

"[In the sixth place, the all-female guild, the dancing girls of the great deep, Mermaid Heel!]"

The entrance was covered in a flashy blue light, as five figures entered the arena rising from the light.

All the members of Fairy tail, who waited in the stands had heats in their eyes. Even the crowd seemed to get excited for this guild, as few them shouted "You rock!" "Kagura, I love you!" "Kick the men's butt!"

"[In the fifth place are the bright blue wings in pitch dark, Blue pegasus!]"

Ichiya, followed by his men stood with the same pose, along with a member wearing a bunny costume.

"Men!"

Jenny, the fellow commentator for the day, cheered for her team, "Do your best, minna!"

"[Continuing with forth place! The goddess of love and war, the holy destroyer, Lamia Scale!]"

Five new figures entered the arena, but they didn't enter in a very flashy way like blue pegasus. It was led by Gray's childhood friend, Lyon supported by one of the ten wizard saint, Jura Neekis.

As they walked into the middle, an old voice reprimanded them, "Why did you come in the fourth place?! Were you slacking off, you idiots!?"

The little girl, named Cheria apologized to their guild master, "Sorry, Obaba-sama. I screwed up- AH!"

The girl fell flat on her face.

Natsu raised an eyebrow, "Who is she?"

"What happened to her usual 'Love'? What happened to it?" Gray mocked, turning towards Lamia scale.

Lyon stood beside her, "Cheria, don't get flustered."

"Sorry, Lyon."

Jura looked at the confused expressions of Natsu and Gray, "Cheria is Sherry's cousin."

"But, there still isn't enough love." Cheria rubbed the back of her head.

Gray smiled a bit, "I guess the cousin's all about love too, huh?"

"Gray, don't forget that promise." Lyon said, striding towards Gray, "If we win, Juvia joins our guild."

Gray cocked an eyebrow, "I don't remember making that promise to you, but we ain't gonna lose to you people."

"Juvia believes in you, Gray-sama!"

They both turned to the new voice to see, Juvia standing beside Lisana. Immediately Gray face-palmed, "That idiot."

"Juvia!" Lyon's cheeks were flushed while Chelia sent him a wry look

"[Next the guild that finished in third place, Oh my! This comes as a surprise! The first appearance of a guild in third place! The midnight mobile force, Raven Tail!]"

Five shady looking people entered the arena at this, followed by crow's feathers.

Erza had a weary look, "That's the guild of the master's son, Ivan."

Lucy looked at Erza, "But, isn't that a dark guild?"

"YOU ARE LETTING A DARK GUILD LIKE THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE GAME?!"

Erza, and Lucy looked towards the sudden outburst to see Makarov pissed as hell. The saw their surrounding members calm their master, who looked like he was going to explode from anger.

"[According to the reports here, Raven tail has been around for more than seven years, but they've only been recognized as legitimate guild recently.]"

The commentator tried to provide some kind of info on the guild, as Makarov cursed under his breath. The whole arena was silent as many people whispered among themselves.

"[If they have managed to register, it means that they aren't a dark guild.]"

Team Natsu just resigned to themselves, barely controlling their anger too, as a member of Raven tail indicated that he was responsible for Wendy's attack. The whole festive kind of mood got dispersed, with their arrival. The whole Arena fell silent, as the commentator cleared his throat.

"[Alright! Let us not forget that there are still two more teams that made it through the elimination round.]"

"Two more teams, huh?" Natsu folded his arms.

"One must be Sabertooth, right?" Lucy said, as team Natsu wondered the same thing.

Erza brought her hand to her chin, "Who could be the other guild? All the main guilds are present here."

Gray moved his gaze to the entrance, "Was there another strong guild that had itself hidden?"

"It might even have a connection to the magic power Jellal was talking about." Erza spoke from behind him.

"[The second place... Oh! This is a shocker! Will they become the soaring key with tattered wings? The unbelievable, improbable... Fairy tail team B!]"

Yellow lightning struck at the entrance, as the guild mark was projected in the air, revealing four people dressed in dark, and Mystogan.

"Nee-chan!" Elfmann stuttered.

Natsu couldn't believe his eyes, "Gajeel!?"

"Isn't it against rules, for Laxus to be on the same team?" Lucy spoke with a slight shiver.

Erza recognized the flutter of the black cloak as the chocolate brown eyes couldn't believe the sight in front of her, "Sasuke?!"

Gray pointed to the bandana, "Oi, Oi! Can somebody explain to me what Mystogan's doing here?"

The gaze now settled on the bandana guy at Gray's statement, as Erza shot a cautious look, "Don't tell me... Is that Jellal?" At the suspicion, Jellal pointed his fore finger hushing them. Gray and Natsu shot back at the sudden arrival of the S-class criminal, "Seriously?!"

The both teams had a stare down, with Sasuke to the left, followed by Mira, then Gajeel, Laxus and finally Mystogan. The whole crowd murmured among themselves as somebody pointed out about the advantage the team Fairy tail has. The commentators went to talking among-st themselves, as they talked on how the team gains an advantage in games when one person from each team were to participate. But, before they could speculate further on how both the Fairy tail teams will fight against each other, Natsu's sudden shouting put a rest to their queries.

"Gimme a break!" As the Arena fell silent, Natsu vented out his frustration, "We may be in the same guild, but I go all out in a showdown, and I give no mercy. You guys are competing as the other team, so you are my enemy. That includes you too, Mystogan. And Sasuke, I haven't forgotten about my defeat. I will pay you back in this tournament."

"Hn, you are welcome to try me out." Sasuke responded in a cool way, which was followed by sudden squealing in the arena. The squealing only got louder as team A of Fairy tail looked around them.

"What is with this change in reception?" Gray said, closing his ears a bit.

Lucy nodded, "You are right, we were welcomed with booing, while team B gets cheering. I don't see the justice just because we ended up last."

Gajeel laughed loudly as Sasuke cursed his fate, "You are wrong on the cheering part, Lucy. It doesn't have to do with teams, or their standings. It's just the-"

"Oh my god!"

"He's so cool!"

"What a handsome man!"

"I love you Sasuke!"

Sasuke's brow twitched as he finished what Gajeel was intended to do. "Fan girls."

There was one thing Sasuke hated with compassion, even before since he began plotting his revenge on Itachi, and it was fan girls. They were so loud, and followed him around like scavengers, not caring what he thought. They only went after him because they thought he was cool, or handsome. Heck, even after the girls back home heard what he had done in elemental nations, they even followed him, few of them even trying to seduce him.

Minerva looked at Sasuke, and was taken captive at his flawless face immediately, "He is very cute, isn't he, Kagura-san?"

Kagura didn't seem to pay attention to what she said, but looked his way nevertheless, "It is true, but you need to find your focus. Remember our goal. We cannot get sidetracked, and he is our enemy in this tournament."

Minerva pouted, "You are so mean, _leader_."

Kagura just ignored her, as this Mystogan seemed more interesting to her. He was having a dangerous vibe, reminding her of someone familiar. It's like he was getting on her nerves, grinding into her bones, her blood boiling a little without even trying. Her hands were resisting forcefully, preventing herself from unsheathing her sword. This guy was definitely suspicious, and needs to be watched.

Mirajane placed her hands on her hip, and looked up the worried expression of Elfman, "Let's do our best, okay Elfman?"

Some more sweat rolled down the cheek of Elfman, thinking of how frightening her sister can be in a battle, "N-Nee-chan! W-were you alright in that Labyrinth cause it seemed a lot tricky?"

"Don't worry, Elfman. Our leader made sure that we passed."

Meanwhile, Sasuke observed Erza walking towards Jellal, and Laxus. He unintentionally clenched his hands at the sight, and walked away towards Gray leaving a puzzled Gajeel behind. He watched silently, seeing those both together, somehow didn't sit right with him.

He forcefully resisted his urge to grab Erza's hand, and drag her away and declare that she was his woman-

Wait. What? What the hell was he thinking? He really needed to learn to keep out of other's business. He reminded himself the painful truth once again, that she was no longer the same person as back in his home. This was her life, and he was just her... comrade.

He chuckled bitterly, thinking of how he used to be back in his Revenge days. Nothing, but revenge had his mind. Girls didn't even capture a tiny part of his brain cells. Damn that Naruto! He really did a number on him, if he was thinking about a girl to this extent. Wallowing himself in sentimentality, he diverted his attention from the apparent couple, towards the other teams.

He frowned a little, when he saw few feathers lying on the ground. He then looked to the team responsible for it, Raven Tail. He had heard of what happened to the innocent little girl on Erza's team, and how she was found unconscious. He felt some anger in his chest, thinking of how low those people were. Those pests needed to be taught a lesson.

..

"Jella- Sorry, Mystogan. What are you doing here?" Erza asked, frowning a bit.

"You have got a very understanding master. When I explained the situation to him he consented immediately."

"You said you wouldn't come near the venue."

"At the time, I hadn't yet thought of this method."

Her eyes narrowed, "It's an infraction of the rules. You are not a member of our guild."

"Though, I heard that Mystogan and I are the same person in a sense."

An arm draped itself around Mystogan's shoulder. Laxus smirked as he spoke, "Well, don't get so huff about it. This is a festival, right, Mystogan?"

"That is right, Erza."

"Need I remind you, Mystogan. You need to be more tight-lipped. Be careful."

"Understood."

Laxus started moving to where Mira stood, as Mystogan walked and stood exactly beside Erza and whispered in a low, audible tone. "So, have you noticed anything strange?"

"Other than Raven tail, nothing suspicious."

"That guild is making its debut here, right?" He said as he bent his head down slightly, "They mesh with the magic power I sense every year."

"How about you? Did you sense that magic, or whatever just now?" She asked, her eyes trailing to Raven Tail.

"No. Not yet." Jellal spoke in a low voice, as he finally rested his eyes on Erza. "What's got you so worried?"

"No... nothing." Erza mumbled, as she shifted her weight onto her other leg, "On second thought, did you say something... you know, to _him_."

Jellal chuckled as Erza frowned again, "No." He answered seriously noticing her worried expression. Erza gave out a sigh of relief as he continued, "I was about to though. I was this close. But, I stopped myself when I felt some hostility directed towards me. I took it as cue that you still hadn't told him anything."

"Of-of course, I couldn't. He never gave me the chance to." Erza stuttered with a slight pink filling her cheeks. She looked away with a solemn look, her eyes resting on the cloaked figure, "He never came back. So, I didn't get to speak to him."

"This is a long tournament," Erza looked back at Jellal as he continued, "I am sure you will have enough chances to do so. He cannot run forever, you know."

..

"That masked member... He isn't part of our guild, is he?" Mavis spoke.

Makarov sweated immediately, his jaw dropping to the ground at his scheme being found out. He quickly got to his knees, and bowed his head, "I am sorry! I am sorry!"

Macao talked from behind, reminding the master of his warning, "That is why I told you not to do it."

Mavis let her gaze fall back to the bandana wearing guy, "But, he is not evil. Strangely enough, I can sense he bears the same heart as those who bear the symbol of our guild."

Happy pointed to Mystogan who was talking to Erza, "It is a long stoy, but in a sense, you could say he is a member of our guild."

Panther Lilly folded its arms, "I see. So, this is this world's Jellal, huh?"

"What about that guy, Makarov?" Mavis asked, directing her attention to Sasuke who was now talking to Gray. "I do not sense a single shred of magic from him. But, bizarrely, I sense something else, something lighter and calmer flowing through his veins."

Makarov folded his arms, as he spoke in his usual manner, "Oh, that guy. He is our newest member who rescued Erza, when she went missing in another dimension. He also acts as a liaison between this world, and his."

Mavis hummed, "So, not from this world you say. I wish to hear everything regarding him later on. But, tell me this. Is he at least strong?"

Makarov nodded, "From what I heard, he is one of the two strongest warriors of his world."

Her hair and the head band she wore flicked immediately, "I approve." She said with stars in her eyes. "So that Fairy Tail wins!"

Jet spoke in a dejected tone, "And that is our first master. Even if the logic is twisted, she doesn't care."

Levy sighed, "This our guild in a complete nutshell."

..

"[Alright, we've just got one more team left to introduce!]" The crowd cheering grew louder in anticipation. "[That's right, you know who it it! They are the strongest, invincible, indisputable champions! Sabertooth!]"

Flowers fell from the sky, as the five members of Sabertooth entered the Arena, with the leading blonde waving his arms to the crowd. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, resting it on the shadow dragon slayer of Sabertooth.

Gray did the same, as his gaze wandered from Sasuke's to the group, "So that's the strongest guild?"

"Looks that way, with the way they are handling themselves." Sasuke said.

"[And now, all of the teams are here, but what are your impressions, Yajima-san?]"

Yajima stared hard the contenders as he spoke, "I envy their youth."

"[That's not really what I meant... what about you, Jenny-san?]"

Jenny sighed with a dreamy look on her face, resting her cheek into her palm, "That Sasuke is even more handsome than my Ibiki, isn't he?"

"[No. That is also not what I meant... But, anyway, Now that crowd has waited long enough, let us get on with the main program of the Grand Magic Games!]"

The cheer intensified, as all the contenders got ready for whatever was going to be thrown at them. With the competition and everything, this was going to be a long seven days, that was for sure.

* * *

 **A good point to end I suppose. I addressed the questions regarding the reviews in the last chapter. Also, tried to write this chapter mostly in general POV. Tried something new, so that's that.**

 **Now, onto the Naruto episodes- WTF Orochimaru?! He has been reduced to a comedian since the end of Sasuke shinden, but Temari and Shikamaru's moments were beautiful.**

 **And, also kind of disappointed with how the fight between Irene and Erza ended, and heard that FT is going to end. Let us hope, that they end with a bang now that Achnologia finally arrives... again.**

 **Anyway, Until then, Later!**


	14. Chapter 14: Hidden

**As always, thanks to** **ZebraUchiha,** **Zedscep,** **LastStand000,** **Destroyer12,** **ronlol2,** **StopTeasing,** **SuperHeroQ,** **GV211,** **Darkzero698,** **Infinite_Zero9,** **Lightningblade49,** **blacknredrose37,** **Blight846,** **Dark Jutten,** **taran taran,** **GB108,** **Raven Rite, crisitifilip372 and a guest reviewer for your reviews.**

 **Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto, or Fairy tail. Didn't have time to check on the mistakes.**

 **Anyway, let us get on with this fic;**

* * *

 **...**

 **Chapter 14: Hidden**

The rules on how the tournament would progress were explained. First, it would be followed by a normal round, where anyone from a team could go and compete. It was entirely left to the team members to decide on who to send for the first round of the Grand Magic Games. The rules weren't declared for it until all the contestants had been selected. Followed by it, was a one on one match, based on the fan votes on who fights whom.

If Sasuke for example were to fight in the first round, then it wasn't entirely impossible, and there lay a possibility that he could be called for the one-on-one fight later. So, if a player suffers fatigue, or injuries during the first round, it would be kind of disadvantageous for them.

So, after the rules were explained, it was time to chose who would enter for the first round.

"[The first round is... Hidden! All the teams, send one of your players to participate.]"

The name of the first round of the day was announced over the mike. Fairy tail team B stood together in the small dugout allotted to them.

"The game may be as it sounds. Probably has to something to to with hiding skills," Laxus stated, crossing his arms and looked at his team.

"So, who do you think should participate among us?" Mira asked.

Sasuke stood in the very back of the dugout with his eyes closed, before he felt everyone's gaze on him. Furrowing his eyebrows, he looked at them, "What?"

"Who do you think should participate?" Mira asked.

"Why are you asking me?"

Laxus gave out a small laugh before he settled to a smirk under Sasuke's stare, "I thought we had settled it with you as our leader. So, the decision also rests with you. Not that there won't be any objections."

"Leader, huh?"

"[The first person to step up is Quatro Cerberus', Yeager!]"

All of them shifted their gaze towards the center of the arena, to see a muscular guy, with long hair step up from the 'Wild Four.'

Sasuke turned his watchful gaze towards other teams, "Let's wait to see who our opponents would be."

"[From Mermaid Heel, Beth Vanderwood!]"

A brunette girl with appearances of that of a farmer made her way to the giant stone slab. She also wore a straw hat and carried some sort of plough with her.

Gajeel chortled, "That little girl, huh?"

"Never judge your opponent based on appearances," the former avenger spoke in a stern voice, although he, himself was unsure about the girl. _'I think I need to first follow what I preach.'_

"[From Raven tail, it is Nalpudding.]"

A short guy with purple colored skin made his way to the center.

"[Eve has been called out. Eve Tilm from Blue Pegasus!]"

A handsome blonde teen walked towards where the competitors gathered.

"[All eyes on Sabertooth, and they go with the minstrel who sings to the red moon. Rufus is here.]"

Sasuke identified that guy. He was the one who had talked shit regarding Fairy tail. The blonde with the hat made it to the center ad-mist the loud cheer.

"[The ice mage from Lamia Scale, Lyon Vastia.]"

In team A dugout, Gray narrowed his eyes and scoffed, "In that case, I'll go too. You can show me what this tournament is like."

"[From Fairy tail Team A, Gray Fullbuster!]"

"Hiding may be a necessity," Sasuke spoke, seeing as majority of the teams sent the shortest players on their teams. But, Sasuke was a shinobi. He needn't be small in order to hide. Ninjas were bred to be sneaky, and ruthless. "I'll go."

"Heh," Gajeel crossed his arms, "We may finally get to see you in action after all."

"Good luck." Mira wished him as he walked towards the slab.

"[Oh, this is a surprise. From Fairy tail Team B, Sasuke Uchiha!]"

Erza focused her gaze on the last Uchiha, as the crowd went silent for a moment. It was no surprise after all. The announcer did specify him as an Uchiha. Maybe, he hid his name until now to unveil it in this tournament. But, the silence remained only for a short moment, before her ears hurt due to the loud squealing suddenly filling up the arena.

The scarlet knight's eyebrows delicately narrowed. It was not like she could blame the girls to be attracted to his looks. It wasn't like she hadn't witnessed this before too. And it definitely wasn't like she was attracted to those looks too. But, it still annoyed her though.

The announcer began explaining the rules in the meantime.

"[We are about to begin. Commentator Yajima-san, is there a player we should pay special attention to?]"

Yajima looked at the players at this, "[Sabertooth's Rufus-kun is probably the crowd's favorite, but I am more curious on the newest member of Fairy tail B.]"

"[You are talking about Sasuke-san, aren't you? It's true the Fairy tail team suddenly got a lot of support due to his looks. Do you think they took him in just for that?]"

Yajima chuckled, "[I don't think that's the real reason though. I am more than curious as to where was this Uchiha hiding until now.]"

"[You are right. Years ago, dragon slayer magic was thought to be extinct, along with many other sorts. But, they came to light in the recent years. Do you think it has to do the same with Uchiha-san?]"

Yajima pondered a bit over that, "[Maybe. But, the Uchiha clan is a group of people. I am sure his arrival is like the resurrection of the previous and most powerful clan. It may be the return of the Uchiha clan. It makes me wonder, where are the other Uchiha members now and how long did they go into hiding?]"

"[I get what you are telling, Yajima-san. But, is the Uchiha clan really as strong as it is rumored, or is it just a hoax?]"

"[I don't know about that, since this is also my first time seeing an Uchiha. I think we will get the extent of the Uchiha clan by watching this lad in the tournament.]"

"[How about our guest for today, Blue Pegasus's Jenny-san?!]"

Jenny turned to the commentator with a smile, "[Of course, our Eve-kun. But, I am curious of how Uchiha-san performs too.]"

"[Well, then. Since, Sasuke-san is causing quite an uproar, I think it is about the time the round started.]"

..

"Quite an up roar, I see." Gray laughed as the Uchiha rolled his eyes at the ice wizard.

"Shut up."

"Gray, do not forget our promise," Lyon spoke from beside Sasuke, reminding him of his promise to let Juvia join his guild. "I'll do my best for Juvia-san."

Gray had a disinterested look at this, "I see that your stupidity is finally catching up."

"Ta da!" Admist the chattering of the participants, smoke erupted as the same pumpkin head from the previous night appeared. All the members did get startled a bit, and the mumbling soon died down. Then, the pumpkin enthusiastically started explaining the rules of the Hidden round.

"Hold on a second here." Raven tails's guild member interjected, as everyone turned their attention on him, "This hidden that is going to start... I don't know what it contains and it goes for all the competitions ahead, but it's pretty obvious the two fairies have the advantage."

Gray glared the purple skinned mage at this, while Sasuke maintained his nonchalant look, not wanting to say anything to that particular guild's member.

"It can't be helped, since two teams from the same guild never qualified before...k-kabo!" The Pumpkin head spoke, but became nervous as everyone had a dissatisfied look.

"It's fine with me," Sasuke quirked an eyebrow, turning towards the blonde mage from the Sabertooth, who had an arrogant and prideful expression, "My memory is singing. It is not necessary that the two of them always hold the advantage."

"Me neither," Mermaid Heel's Beth spoke.

"Let's rock!" Yeager pumped his fist, as Nalpudding clicked his teeth, since his plan failed to side everyone against Fairy tail.

"I am impressed," Gray said, looking at Rufus. "Is that what others refer to as the 'confidence of a king'?"

"They could also become your weakness," Rufus said, as Sasuke opened his visible eye to look at him. "They could be held hostage, and everything unfavorable could be done to them. But, your partner doesn't seem to care too much on that." He finished as Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Oh... you seem to know about me, do you?" Sasuke spoke, studying the man.

Rufus adjusted his hat, "Maybe others didn't seem to notice this, but with the way you are carrying yourself is no less than a war veteran, a man who has seen all kinds of things. It shows as even your teammate failed to notice this. Makes me wonder why such a man joined a dead last guild such as Fairy Tail."

Sasuke was impressed, as this guys observation skills were good. The Pumpkin head looked in between them before he stepped forward and announced the battle. "Field Open!"

The surrounding area was filled with blue light, as buildings started erupting from the ground. Sasuke looked down, his right hand resting against the hilt of his sword as even the golden dust beneath them was replaced by concrete road. The whole arena was slowly consumed by the said buildings, as people waited in anticipation. It had to take a lot of magic to create it, if the looks on the faces of other contestants suggested anything.

Not only did he find the buildings so exquisite and modern than back in from his home, but apparently the others disappeared too in the mean time. He looked around to see himself standing alone in some random street.

 _'Maybe this is the reason they decided to name it hidden.'_ Sasuke thought, his gaze moving up to study the nearby buildings. He flickered in an instant to the tallest building top. ' _Now, this gives me a better look.'_

He was surprised, yet again by the marvels of magic as a smug expression holding Sasuke appeared standing down. Before he could rub his eyes, many figures of himself in different poses appeared. Like mannequins of himself, fixed but not limit to a single stance or expression. It wasn't just restricted to him, as others were also mixed in the same way.

 _'I see... this is to confuse your opponents, huh?'_

Sasuke sat down, as the commentator spoke the remaining rules, "[The time limit is thirty minutes. If you attack a copy, you lose one point. Likewise, if you attack other members, you gain a point while the other loses a point. The person with the most number of points wins this round. You need to act like a black cat in the night to win this. Every time you are hit, it will be restarted by teleporting you to a different location.]"

 _'I understand. Considering the size of the arena, I think...'_ Sasuke brought his free hand to his chin, "About five minutes to guess and attack each person. Let me see, how others compete in this."

True to his statement, he retreated to watching others. Gray was getting his ass whooped by that purple haired mage from earlier who tried to pit others against Fairy Tail, and then by Lyon, Gray's childhood friend. The ice mage from Team A was getting fooled again, and again, and if Sasuke had maintained the count, then it was three times. So, Gray sat at -3, while the Raven Tail mage sat at the first position with 3 points.

"Found you, Uchiha-san," a voice spoke behind Sasuke.

Gray's persistent stalker seemed to have found another target. He figured that he was only going after Fairy Tail, but it wasn't like the Uchiha was trying to hide.

Sasuke did not even turn back, and kept his gaze fixed to his front with a calm expression, "Oh? And so, what if you found me?"

"I guess you will have to see for yourself!" The Raven Tail member changed his arm into a sharp edged weapon with the help of his magic and leaped at Sasuke. He gave a wicked smile as his attack hit the Uchiha who didn't attempt to move out of the way, and was now falling towards the ground, having the shot hit him in the back. "Got you!"

"I wonder though." A voice said from below the building, as Nalpudding's eyes widened when he found Sasuke standing at the bottom, with no sort of injury and the same bored expression on his face.

"What t-the-" He never got to finish as he looked back at the figure he had just hit, "You used my tactic on me, huh? Clever." He said, as he was being restarted to another place. Sasuke had substituted himself so subtly with a fake image of him that was lying on the road, that Nalpudding thought he attacked the actual Sasuke. He never stood a chance.

"I don't know what you used so far, but that was a mere substitution," Sasuke said, closing his eyes at the squealing that filled the arena. Even he didn't need to guess the source of the sound.

He muttered under his breath, before refocusing his gaze to the new opponent who stood before him, a certain amount of chill spreading along the street.

"So, Gray, you are my next opponent." Sasuke said, turning to face the ice maker wizard.

"Sorry, but I am not like Natsu to fall for your tricks. And I am not going to go easy on you since we both belong to Fairy Tail." Gray said, bringing both his arms together.

"True, since Master made us participate because of the deal." Sasuke said, as Gray stopped his attack midway. It sounded fishy.

"What deal?"

Sasuke closed his eyes, "Gajeel was against the idea of being put in team B at first. But, master made us this deal."

"What does it say?"

"Well, we can make you guys do whatever we want for a day," Sasuke spoke, opening his eyes back to look at Gray. "Since, Juvia is our reserve member, it is only fair that I warn you." He finished, getting amused at the shuddered expression Gray gave.

..

The others watched into the screens that were provided outside, as Gray's face was highlighted with a vein popping on his forehead, "What the heck, old man?!"

Natsu raised his objection too from the stands, "That deal should be applicable to both sides!"

Makarov scratched his cheek, resigning to the objection from the team members of Team A, "I-I suppose you are right."

"Erza-san, if we win we can do anything we want to the other team." Lucy smiled at the red head beside her.

Erza blinked before the offer had to settle in her brain, "Anything?" She trailed off, as she imagined what she would do. Ah, yes. She would definitely chose Sasuke and make him do all the embarrassing things he refused to do while back in Konoha. There were many things he didn't do like others, like singing, dancing, or... well there were many things. This was going to a lot of fun. Her mind also began to wander dangerously to the perverted stuff, but she had to force herself back to reality as Lucy spoke.

"Although, I don't see Sasuke-san forcing us to do anything," Lucy gave a sigh of relief.

"No. He can be quite a pervert too." Erza said, with a straight face, as if past experiences spoke on her face. "You won't believe what he did to me one time."

"What did he do?" Natsu asked out of curiosity.

"Well..." Erza started with an uncharacteristic shy face that oddly suited her, and cupped her cheeks as a slight pink tinge appeared her cheeks, "This is embarrassing to say, but it's only fair that I warn you, Lucy. He stripped me of my clothes, and pinned me to the ground and he was about to lean in-"

"No!" Lucy squealed, as steam erupted from her head. "Please, Erza-san. I won't be able to get the images out of my head if I hear anymore... And now I got them." She wailed as Erza gave a indignant smirk.

"You just pictured Sasuke naked, didn't you?" Natsu deadpanned.

Lucy got flustered, "S-Shut up!"

Erza had an amused expression and chuckled, before she turned her eyes to the said shinobi who stood in front of Gray. ' _I wonder why he isn't taking any charge yet.'_ It was strange, since Sasuke was an extremely talented ninja who was good in these kinds of situations. But, so far his participation seemed minimal to just observing.

"The fight began," Natsu spoke, snapping Erza out of her daze.

They looked at the screen to see Gray bring his both hands together, as an Ice Bazooka formed in his hand.

"It took considerably less time thanks to his training," Lucy said, resting her hands on her hip.

Their team mate then shot a huge ice ball, which sped towards Sasuke who stood still, and did not make any attempt to dodge again. True to that, it looked like it had hit its target as dust evolved from where Sasuke stood.

..

"Heh, now onto -2. Two more points to get to zero," Gray smirked, as he let the bazooka disappear from his hands. He, then scanned the surrounding fake figures, in search for his next opponent before his eyes widened. He heard someone leaving their breath behind him.

"I thought I told you guys to never let down your guard until you are absolutely sure of it." Sasuke sighed, tapping Gray's shoulder and making him stumble forward.

Falling onto his knees, Gray looked back as his body was covered in a spell to teleport him to a different area. He saw Sasuke walking away as the words left his lip, "This isn't the right stage to fight a full on battle, Gray. Try to be a bit more versatile."

Sasuke then got onto another building, and sat on the top of it. Twenty five minutes had passed as the scores stood this way,

Nalpudding : 5 points

Lyon : 5 points

Sasuke : 2 points

Yeager : 2 points

Eve : 1 point

Rufus : 0 point

Beth : 0 point

Gray : -6 points

Rufus stood tall at the top of a building as the round reached its climax. He smiled a little as he pointed his finger and touched the side of his head, "I have memorized your movements, and now it's time to dance to the rhythm of memory."

Seven magic circles formed around him as they shot towards different locations in the area towards the remaining contenders.

Lyon, Gray, Eve, Beth, Yeager all took the hits from the blast, respawning to different locations. Nalpudding made a clever jump before he rushed at the blonde, who stood at the top of the building.

Sasuke had sidestepped the pin pointed blast with ease, before he too began to run towards the blonde, judging the direction of the source it came from. He heard a scream from a few blocks away to see Nalpudding covered in burns as blue light engulfed him. The source of the attack, the blonde was seen in a far off distance.

Sasuke increased his pace, and was almost two buildings away from Rufus when he saw Gray dive at the guy. He immediately summoned a few shuriken from the seal on his wrist when he saw the respawned Nalpudding interfere Gray's attack on Rufus.

"Not so fast," Sasuke threw the shuriken in a swift motion, and they were near the purple skinned mage in an instant. Nalpudding grunted in pain as the shuriken ripped right through his left arm, before he was covered in the same blue light to respawn and start a fresh.

Sasuke decreased his pace to let Gray land his attack on the guy now that he was clear of the obstacle. He was disappointed a bit as Gray's attack was easily evaded by Rufus, who hit him right back with his attack. Gray groaned in pain as he was teleported again leaving Sasuke to face Rufus.

The former avenger activated his sharingan and immediately threw few more shuriken towards the blonde mage, who dodged it by jumping onto the other building. Rufus then shot a beam at Sasuke in retaliation, who didn't take any time to dodge it, and was on the same building roof top in an instant.

"I see that you are quite the speedster," the member of the Strongest guild spoke as Sasuke remained silent. Rufus relaxed himself a tiny wee bit before he tensed up immediately.

Sasuke bent down a bit stretching his arms, and motioned his left hand backwards. Seeing this Rufus got ready, ' _I wonder what attack he is planning to pull... No wait! This is-'_

Rufus never got to finish as two shuriken hit him in the back. He noticed the thin wire emerging from Sasuke's right hand a bit too late as Sasuke had already guided the shuriken he threw earlier aided with his visual prowess.

"Quite a tactician too, I see," Rufus spoke with a small smile as blue light engulfed him. "I memorized this, Sasuke Uchiha." He spoke before he was teleported to another place.

Sasuke grunted indifferently as he checked the time remaining. It was almost a minute left. Activating his sharingan, he could clearly differentiate dolls from the actual people by seeing their energy and sensing it. He closed his eyes taking a deep breath.

..

"And now it begins," Erza spoke, her eyebrows furrowing seeing that Sasuke had opened his eyes with the ever same expression. It seemed nonchalant as ever to others, but Erza could tell he was finally ready to get serious.

She heard the crowd gasping, as Sasuke disappeared from the screen that was broadcasting him and reappeared in different screens that was showing the other contenders in a flash. With a swift strike, he disappeared and reappeared in the adjacent screens, having all the others participants taking hits from him via shuriken, or neck chop, or a simple tap. Even Rufus, and their own guild mate Gray were no exception.

It was a literal manslaughter, as soon as the others were brought back, he was near them as if he knew where they would respawn next. The hunt continued for the full minute as the round finished with a buzzer.

The final scores looked this way,

Sasuke : 22 points

Rufus : 3 points

Lyon : 2 points

Nalpudding : 0 point

Eve : -3 points

Beth : -4 points

Yeager : -4 points

Gray : -9 points

The crowd was completely silent, staring in disbelief. Even the commentator was dumbstruck, before he regained his senses, grabbing the mike with excitement.

"[Would you believe this!? The Uchiha has utterly out-classed the remaining contestants, and it was a complete riot. This really shows what the Uchiha are capable of!]"

The crowd erupted into cheers, some whispering about the Uchiha clan, some in utter disbelief that the strongest guild was not at the first place, some cheering out for the revived Fairy Tail but it was easily deafened out by the squealing of the new fan base Sasuke obtained in the span of a couple hours.

The participants were all brought back, and apparently had no injuries. Their injuries were taken care of by the same spell that brought them back. Sasuke stood in the centre as his name was being chanted by the now excited crowd.

"Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke!"

Sasuke closed his eyes, as the spot light fell on him. The chanting continued as he tuned it out remembering his encounter with Irene and August.

 _"We have come for you, Uchiha Sasuke and we will not stop until you join us." Irene revealed the true purpose of their visit as Sasuke had halted his jump. Jumping into the portal to evade the meteor which Sasuke had summoned, she gave her final warning,_

 _"Remember, boy. We will not stop until we capture you by force if required. Even if we are defeated, you will have others invading your home. So, think long and hard on your decision, my dear Sasuke."_

Opening his eyes, he looked right back at the crowd with a dead serious expression, "My name is Sasuke Uchiha, and I am the last Uchiha," He spoke, as the crowd became silent to let him continue, "I am a member of Fairy Tail. If you desire the Uchiha's eye, come and get it. I won't go anywhere, and I am staying right here. You know where to find me."

Erza felt at ease when she heard the final declaration from Sasuke. But before she could call out to him, her voice was deafened by the jovial crowd erupting into claps and cheers. She could only watch as Sasuke made his way back to his dugout, but made no attempt to follow him. She had to cheer the downhearted Gray after all.

"Gray," She almost whispered, turning to the gloomy Gray who was walking towards them.

His shoulders were slumped slightly, as he moved past them without caring about the worried expression on his friend's faces. "Sorry," He said stopping for a moment, "I want some time to myself."

"Gray," Lucy called his name, "I think that Sasuke-san should have gone easy on you since you both belong-"

"No!" Gray shouted, but quickly calmed himself after his sudden outburst. "No, I mean, I would never have forgiven him if he had gone easy on me just because we belong to the same guild." He said as other watched him silently.

"I am going," He disappeared into the shadows of the exit, to the resting rooms.

..

"Well, you did make a quick work of them," Laxus said to his leader.

"Nice job!" Mira smiled to their leader as he entered the dugout.

Gajeel crossed his arms and grinned, "We are now one step closer to getting that deal."

"Don't get so cocky," Sasuke spoke eyeing the Iron Dragon Slayer, "It is only the first day and only first round had happened."

"Oh, I know. But, now I have got faith that we will win that bet," Gajeel pumped his fist.

Sighing at the enthusiasm displayed by the Dragon Slayer, "I am going. I doubt that I would be called to battle on the first day again."

Mira nodded and answered on behalf of the rest of the team, "Ok, we will contact you if something happens."

"Good work," Mystogan said as Sasuke moved past him.

"Hn," Sasuke nodded to the bandana wearing guy and made his way out.

..

* * *

"Pathetic!~" a drunk Cana began scolding her guild mates after a rather disappointing day, with the exception of Sasuke. But, in the public's eye, it seemed like Sasuke's win was more dedicated to the revival of the infamous clan rather than the revival of the now dead last guild thanks his little introduction after winning the first round.

But, still it was the only positive thing that happened. Lucy lost after an unfortunate match against Raven Tail. Mystogan's loss was more hilarious than pitiful. He lost against Jura only because of the intervention of Ultear afraid of exposing Jellal's identity, now that he was a wanted fugitive. He ended up exhausting himself by rolling out on the floor and laughing his ass out. He even faced stick from his team mates and the only good news he had was that Sasuke wasn't present at the time. Receiving a comment from the stoic Uchiha was the last thing he needed.

All the guild members had gathered at a local bar to talk about the day's events but ended up drinking, and then forgetting about their defeat temporarily. They were more upbeat than down-hearted because of that.

Yesterday's worries are buried in the past. That's how carefree the guild was. They were in a merry with the only reason being Sasuke's success, and that was apparently enough. They had few quick words of inspiration from Natsu and Makarov though the irony was that Sasuke wasn't present for his own success party. He was wandering somewhere again god knows where, much to Erza's dismay who still hadn't talked to him. She was pissed that now it became evident to her that he was avoiding her.

"Erza, I can't help but think that Sasuke held back. He didn't actively participate in the round until the final few minutes after all," Mira said, propping her elbow onto the table.

Erza sat in the same table eating her favorite cake, "He is strong, Mira. I am sure he can even be an even match if he went up against Jura."

"Jura, huh?" Mira mumbled, looking towards the roof. She released a small breath, "If he is as strong as you say, then I don't think that we will be able to beat him even if we work together."

"Maybe."

"Maybe?" Mira looked at her rival before smiling, "Yeah, you are right. We just need to focus more and improve ourselves, and hope for the best. Are all the warriors as strong as him in his world?"

"Yeah~," Cana sloped in, "I am curious too. Are there any dateable guys in his world?"

Erza began to think all the guys she met. There was Killer Bee. He seemed to be a bachelor, but his rapping sucked. Maybe, Cana wouldn't find him interesting. Or, she might. There was no telling who this crazy girl liked and didn't. "Well, there are few guys I met."

"Are they friends of Sasuke?" Cana asked excitement glittering in her eyes, "Anyone as cool and strong as him?~"

"I think... he would call them his friends," Erza hesitated slightly and chuckled. She was still unsure whether Sasuke thought of them as his friends. He never got touchy, or did anything friends would do when they got together except for that one drinking night. In fact, he only came out of his stupor when Naruto was involved.

Mira asked, "Are all of them as strong as him?"

"I think there is only one guy who is just as strong as him. But, I heard Sasuke mentioning something that he lost the final battle they had with each other," Erza said, recalling the introduction Sasuke gave about Naruto.

"What's his name?"

"Naruto Uzumaki. But, he is already taken, Cana. I think he is engaged right now," Erza said, cheering Cana when she slumped her shoulders after hearing that.

"Geez, I thought I finally could get myself a boyfriend and date someone from the same guild when Sasuke arrived, but he was taken immediately. When another potential boyfriend appeared, I hear that he is engaged and taken too," Cana slumped into her arms, rotating her empty mug with her fingers.

Erza blinked as the first part puzzled her, "Sasuke is taken?"

"Ha, don't act so dumb, Erza. I don't know what went down between you two when you were back there, but even Natsu can see there is something going on," Cana wriggled her eyebrows, and a grin appeared on her face as Erza's pale skin was heating up.

"I-I don't-... We are not-" Erza tried to form an objection but words failed her. Not to mention, she was pissed at him right now.

Mira aided Cana much to Erza's dismay, "Erza, I heard you had no memories there, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Erza answered turning to Mira, wondering where she was leading to.

"Did you two kiss while you were there?"

"W-What?!" Erza got up from her seat, her cheeks flushed before she quickly sat down when everyone were staring at her. She controlled the level of her voice as she leaned in, mistaking the question Mira asked, "I only acted as his wife because it was part of my cover."

"What...!?" Now it was the turn of Mira and Cana to be surprised as everyone again turned towards their table.

Erza realizing her blunder repeated the question, "What?"

"You were his wife?" Cana asked, blinking her eyes in incredulity.

Erza looked to her side as she shrugged, "Well, sort of. He was the one who came up with the idea."

Some silence followed as Mira and Cana looked at each other. Erza began to worry thinking she might have said something wrong, but the entire bar was silenced by their squealing in excitement.

"Erza is married!" Mira exclaimed, happily.

"What?!" The entire guild shot back this time.

Cana went near Gray and curled her arm around his shoulder, "You wouldn't believe who her husband is?"

"Cana!" Erza got up, and shouted in a stern voice. But, Cana shrugged her off.

"It is none other than our own stoic Sasuke!"

Gray threw up his ale on Natsu's face not giving him a chance to react. Drops mixed with his spit dripped from Natsu's hair as Gray slammed the table, "Erza! I think this is something important to specify, don't you think?"

"No, you are wrong." Erza said, trying to fix the misunderstanding on the off chance Sasuke walked in. She wasn't sure how Sasuke would take this all in, now that he seemed more distant with her. "He acted as my husband for covering up my identity. There was nothing more, or nothing less."

"No smooches either~," Cana asked.

"No!"

There was some silence before things settled down, few weak groans coming from the entire bar. There were few sighs of disappointment, few of them speaking of which color hair Erza's children would have, and few sighs of relief which Erza wasn't sure of.

The things looked like it settled down, and no interesting stuff was going to happen for the day. That was when the doors creaked open, as everyone turned towards the door. Few knights had entered the bar, followed by Darton, princess Hisui's and the king's advisor. Everyone grew cautious and began wondering why the knights were surrounding them. The short guy stepped to the front, "Is this where Fairy Tail is staying at?"

Erza answered on behalf of the guild, "Yes. How may we help you?"

"I did not destroy anything, I swear, Erza!" Natsu shot before crawling back under Erza's stern gaze. Lucy and Gray scolded him a bit, as Erza got back to the advisor who seemed like he was barely controlling his anger.

"He may shout like that, but I can vouch that he hasn't done anything... today at least."

"No, it isn't about that," Darton spoke up. "We are here for one Sasuke Uchiha."

"What!?" Collective gasps were heard from the guild members.

Erza herself was shocked, as her mind began to think of a reason as to why they would need Sasuke. The only logical reason she could come up was his inheritance and given the history of his clan here. Nevertheless, she asked the reason, "May I know the reason requesting for his presence?"

"Well," Darton adjusted his hat, "For one reason. He is convicted for attacking and threatening the future ruler of this kingdom, princess Hisui," he finished as the Fairy Tail members were wide-eyed in shock, Erza's words leaving her mouth as she processed what she just heard.

"He attacked the Princess?!"

* * *

 **And with this, the first day finishes. It was actually the least exiting day in the GMG arc other than Jura vs Jellal fight. I wanted to write a fight b/w Sasuke and other members, but oh well GMG still has a lot of days to go. Many opportunities may come for Sasuke to show his actual abilities that are unique to himself. I had this idea when I actually saw Hidden and was thinking 'Sasuke would have rocked this round if he were present with his sharingan and shinobi skills.'**

 **ReadXReview.**

 **Until then, Later!**


	15. Chapter 15: The Cake

**A 5000 word chapter. By the way, this chapter is influenced by one of the books I have read recently.**

 **As always, thanks to Shade Sword, Darkzero698, Last983, Devil's Darklight, pianomaster135, StopTeasing, JesusChrist, Specter HellScythe, dimas_vaw, Obito no Kamui, Dark Jutten, blacknredrose37, Commander Blunt, ZebraUchiha, Lightningblade49, ActionTReaction and a guest(x1) for your reviews.**

 **Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto, or Fairy tail. Apologize in advance for grammatical mistakes or typos.  
**

 **And, this is now officially the longest anything that I have written. My previous longest was another fic, but that was only 40k words. And, to celebrate the 200 review mark, you could say something of a plot progress happens in the end.**

 **Continuing on;**

* * *

 **...**

 **Chapter 15: The cake**

A sigh escaped his lips as Kakashi leaned back in his chair. He gripped the scrap of paper in his hand and read,

"Declared my existence. Still many people don't seem to know a lot about Uchiha. Things may get ugly. Requesting back-up. Please approve."

Kakashi ran his hand through his hair letting the piece of paper fall onto the table. This was the third report Sasuke sent ever since he established the route from Konoha to Fiore. He rotated his chair, and gazed as cold breeze blew outside. He got up, and stood near the window as he watched a couple sticking close and providing warmth to each other.

They entered a Ramen stand, the lanterns illuminating the streets. The village looked a lot peaceful as few kids were running around and people went on about their business. The market went on as usual with vendors trying to lure customers, while few married woman were bargaining with them. He preferred to maintain the peace that way, by not disclosing the details of the scroll.

Things would have gotten _ugly_ if any more people from Fiore entered this world. They were barely able to contain the information about Irene and August, and Kakashi had to give a lame excuse that Naruto and Sasuke were sparring, explaining about the meteor destroying the entire terrain.

"Guess that means it is pointless to inform you about the _mission_ , huh?" Kakashi muttered to himself, staring at his refection which he could see through the window. He chuckled a bit, "Though, I don't think you need to undergo the mission to bring a wedding gift for Naruto and Hinata."

His chuckle died down after a bit as his thoughts went on his former student. A gloomy expression spread across his face, "Just how long will you continue your journey alone?"

..

..

"He attacked the P-Princess?!"

"Impossible!" Makarov shot from his seat. "The kid isn't capable of that!"

Darton turned towards the Fairy Tail master, "Makarov-dono, you seem to have complete faith in this _Sasuke_." His voice was stern, and did not display any malice. "Could it be you were the one who ordered him to do that?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Natsu jumped in front of Makarov before he could respond. His fists were ignited as he pointed it to Darton, "Are you accusing Fairy Tail of assaulting the princess?"

"Makarov-dono, I could have your entire guild locked up and expulse your guild from the games." Darton spoke in a calm voice.

"What did you say?!" Natsu got even more agitated, but was put down by Erza.

"Natsu, calm down."

Natsu looked at Darton who stood with a smug expression, "Erza! Tell me you don't believe them. Why would Sasuke-"

"Natsu, be quiet!"

"But, Erza-" Natsu looked up at Erza to protest, but stopped himself as Erza was equally pissed barely controlling her anger. Her hand was trembling, as he watched her bit into her lip.

Darton eyed the exchange with some interest before he turned his attention to Makarov, "Master Makarov! When did this Uchiha join your guild?"

"Uh.. um, about three months ago."

"And where was he before this?"

Makarov stayed silent, and feigned ignorance. Darton deduced from his look, "So, even you don't know his origin?"

Silence.

"I think that I should have you all locked up for your lack of cooperation. You seem to be hiding him."

"We don't know where he is." Mira answered in an apprehensive way, before the king's advisor took any drastic measures.

Darton had a blank look, "Not here you say. I have no choice then."

Erza's eyes widened a bit as he motioned his guards to capture them. Before they could move, she walked to the front, "I know where he is from." She said ignoring the shocked looks sent her way. "You could say he came here in a way due to me."

Darton had a smug expression, "Finally some cooperation. Since he isn't here, we require you to come with us, Ms. Erza Scarlet."

Erza didn't really have a choice in the matter. It was either Sasuke, or her nakama. Though it seemed impossible that Sasuke would attack the princess, the advisor seemed to believe otherwise. Things would get nowhere until Sasuke was back. But, for now all she could do was justify on his behalf. So, she just followed Darton, with the rune knights following after her.

Gray had Natsu pinned down. They did not want to abandon their comrade, and wanted to have complete faith in him, but it was Erza herself who offered her assistance. They could do little in this as they could only watch her leave the bar.

..

..

Erza walked through the long corridors of the king's palace. The knights were escorting her to the princess chamber with both sets of guards walking in front and back of her. Darton walked ahead. They took a few turns as Erza eyed the entire area looking for an escape route in case things got ugly.

She was taken to a bedroom that was huge by her standards. It was almost equal to the size of their entire guild hall. A master bed sat in the middle with curtains draped all around ir, as a table lay against the window with two chairs. The carpet also looked old and ancient.

"That is enough, Darton." A female voice spoke as Darton bowed and left along with the guards.

Erza looked cautiously as a young girl with green hair entered the room. She was a slim, petite young woman. She was wearing a short dress that exposed her back and parts at the sides of the skirt. It also had a flower like pattern along the breast-line. She also wore long gloves that covered up to her elbows with frills at the end of them

Princess Hisui stood in front of Erza with a royal aura and a fair amount of jewelry. Erza did not back down, but continued to stare right back.

Hisui seemed to evaluate her stance for a few more moments before she sighed, sitting on the edge of the table, "This Sasuke... what is his origin and where did he pop up from?"

Erza stared for a few seconds, before she softened her features slightly. She got on her one knee, and bowed her head. Hisui seemed glad at this, "At least you are better at etiquettes than him."

Erza keeping her head bowed down, "My apologies, your majesty. But, I have heard that my nakama had attacked you."

"Yes, he did. That is why I wanted to meet with him." Hisui said. "Apparently he had been withholding a lot of information himself."

She looked up slightly, "I can answer you whatever you want regarding him. But, I want to convince you that he isn't a bad person. He would never do something like that without any reason."

Hisui had her eyebrows raised at this. "I believe that he joined your guild only three months ago. He could have been an assassin before this, or a terrorist member. He could also have been part of a dark guild. Who would know what kinds of things he did before coming here. That is why, it is best to dispose of the problem before it gets out of hand. He is dangerous."

Erza realized her concern. She had a valid point. Though Makarov and she knows about Sasuke, apparently he was still a threat to this world. The world needs some proof that he wouldn't turn on them. And as luck would have it, he bears the Uchiha name. The godforsaken name, equally famous in her world just as it is in his.

Deciding to be honest and convince the princess, "I can promise you that he isn't evil. I know him from the other world. Since then, I have put my faith in him."

"Other world?"

"Yes," Erza looked into the princess's eyes, "We got a request asking us to retrieve a scroll many months back. As a result of the mission, I was teleported to another world with no memories, but he saved me and helped me back to this world."

"So much trust... He could have been lying to you to get to this world. And, to confirm it, he attacked me. This could all be a part of his plan." Hisui said. "A well-organized plan at that."

"No!" Erza snapped when the thought of Sasuke using her for his goals came to her mind. Realizing her sudden outburst, "I apologize for my rudeness, your majesty. But, I trust him with my life. That is why I want you to cancel Sasuke's restraint order."

"You do realize what you are asking me to do. He may as well be the cause for the extermination of us all."

Erza clenched her wrists, "I know it is a lot to ask. But, this is the only way I know to save him." She bowed down even further not caring about her pride anymore, "Sasuke is my nakama. I cannot just stand by and let it happen as the person who saved me is held on a trail."

"..."

"On top of it, I don't want Sasuke to be the reason for the start of war between two worlds." Erza said. _If anything were to happen to him, Naruto wouldn't sit quiet. I wouldn't sit quiet_. "Please, I am begging you."

Hisui stared wordlessly at the red head who was now on both her knees, her arms spread forward and her forehead touching the mat. She seemed put a lot of faith in this Uchiha as she did not even care how awkward it may look, she was bowing down her head for her affection for her guild and the Uchiha. Something even deeper than camaraderie was felt by her. Hisui closed her eyes, "Please, Ms. Scarlet. Raise your head. It is unsightly to see a member of my favorite guild bowing to me."

Erza's head perked up. She looked up at princess Hiusi to see her smiling. She slowly got up after Hisui gave a slight nod.

"You must apologize for the sudden summon. It was necessary to evaluate this Sasuke who is a part of Fairy Tail. So, a bit extreme measures had to be taken to get an honest reply. So, you must see the reason behind this charade."

Erza blinked and wiped the wet stream down her cheek with her hand. "...so, um, you aren't arresting Sasuke and aren't planning to get rid of him?"

"I never planned to. He is my father's favorite after all." She giggled a bit into her hand. "I apologize for the discomfort again. I had hoped to get some straight answers from him. I took a gamble by placing a restriction order on him since he seemed like the type to rebel rather than follow orders. But I got more than what I sowed. You have more than clarified the concerns regarding him."

Erza blinked again. So, this was what it was about. It was completely understandable since seeing Sasuke in today's games, anyone would be concerned. They were lucky as the princess decided to question. It would have been difficult if the magic council was involved.

And to think they had to go to such an extent to have a chat with Sasuke. She then remembered the words Sasuke said to Oyashiro En back at the coliseum, "Yeah, he sure absolutely hates following orders." She chuckled after a moment sharing in on the joke. The previous heavy atmosphere was now dispelled just like that.

Then they settled on a table, with few guards offering Erza some refreshments after few quick apologies. She sat after resting for a bit, as princess Hisui asked few more questions regarding him, but these were more inclined on the personal side. She tried her best to avoid as much private information as possible. Some time passed, before a sigh escaped Hisui's lips as she peered through the window.

"We have been talking for quite some time now. Sorry, I didn't realize it had become so late. I'll have the guards escort you to the outside. And, again I apologize for any discomfort." Hisui said, following Erza who walked out of the door thanking the princess again. She ordered the guards, and soon Erza was brought to the gates of the palace. Nodding to the guard, she proceeded to walk towards the bar.

The streets were a lot deserted now, since her evening was mostly spent in the palace. A soft sigh escaped her breath, "Just where the heck is this Sasuke?"

Shaking her head, she began moving forward. It had become cold, as she rubbed her arms slightly. "I wonder if anyone is still awake." she muttered to herself, before her eyes widened when she spotted a familiar cloak taking a turn into another lane.

"I-Is that?" Before she knew it, she was running her ass off. "Hey, Sasuke!"

At the mention of someone calling his name, he turned back with a surprised expression, "Erza?"

Before he could respond in any sort of way, like formulating on what he wanted to say, she had already tackled him to the ground. She sat on top of him as she began punching him, sniffing in between her punches.

"E-Erza, Stop it." He tried to say, but to no avail as she kept pounding him in the chest. He tried to bring his arms upwards to block her punches, as her punches were directed at his arms now.

He tried to flip her down, but halted before he could. His eyes widened a bit, as he saw few tears streaming down her cheek. Something must have happened to her to get this pissed at him. "You know..."

She kept punching him without stopping. These weren't exactly strong punches, but punches out of frustration. They did little to hurt him.

"...there is a desert shop open couple of blocks away."

The punches apparently halted. Despite her puff face due to the tears, he could see it in her eyes that his offer had made its impact.

"We could eat something there while we talk about what happened. I promise to answer your questions."

Now, she had a blank look, but he could tell she was struggling to resist the offer. Just barely. He smirked knowing his tactic worked. Nothing could distract Erza better than the mention of Strawberry cake.

After a few moments, a few bickering, a few punches they managed to find the way to the desert shop.

An old lady was about to close the shutter, before Sasuke called out to her. "Could you wait for a few more minutes before you close the shutter? You see, I am in bind right now." He whispered to her, motioning his head towards Erza, who had her arms crossed and stood few feet away from him.

Of course, the old lady misunderstood what was going on but it worked in Sasuke's favor nonetheless.

"You should take more care of your gal, Sasuke." The old lady said going inside the shop with Sasuke following behind her. "Today was a good match. You showed those Sabertooth brats their place."

He gave out a nervous chuckle as the old lady bashed the strongest guild, "And by this, I am implying that they don't have a nice image in the public."

"Oh, no. The members are all right. Good natured kids at heart. It's just their master who is a jerk." The old lady rambled, before she got back to Sasuke. "What order would you like? I will give it away for free for today's winner."

"Thanks." Sasuke nodded. "A full strawberry cake, please."

"Hmm, it will take some time. Why don't you make yourself comfortable outside?" The old lady said motioning to a table sitting right beside the door. "I will bring it once it is done."

"Thanks." Sasuke thanked once again before he went outside and sat in a chair near the table. Erza moved cautiously not removing her gaze from him as she sat down.

"The cake will take some time to be prepared."

"I never said I want any."

The retort earned some silence, as Erza stared down Sasuke. Sasuke felt a bit uncomfortable at the continuous daggers she was sending to him, as he fidgeted around in his seat a bit.

He cleared his throat, "So," He started. "What did you want to know?"

There was some silence.

"That was a nice dress you wore today." Sasuke said, trying to get some conversation going. "How did you know purple was my favorite color?"

Erza propped her elbow against the table as she settled her chin against the palm of her hand. "Didn't you get my letter?"

Sasuke sweat dropped at the direct jab at him. _Straight to the point as always_.

"I did... but, I was kind of side tracked."

"By getting sidetracked, you mean you attacked the princess?"

The temperature around them was rising, despite it being cold outside. It became warm all of a sudden. Sasuke envied her a bit now. She looked perfectly fine in her full arms black sweater, and black pants. She had her hair tied up in a pony. She must have requipped due to the chilly temperatures. Sasuke tried to meet her gaze, but had to divert his eyes immediately. Damn, she was being strict with him exactly like how his mother once was when he was hiding something. He sighed, "I had a valid reason to do so."

" _They_ didn't know that." Erza sat straight, then explained seeing the look of confusion on Sasuke's face, "You know, the guards were just at the bar with a wanted poster of you."

"What?"

"Yeah, exactly." Erza said. "I had to go on your behalf and cover for you." She then looked back at him, but her features were now softened. She looked at him with pleading eyes, "Please, Sasuke. Answer me honestly. Why did you attack the princess?"

Sasuke looked at her for few seconds, before he crossed his arms. Sighing, "She was the one who hired Fairy Tail to retrieve the poster. You know... the job to retrieve the scroll."

Erza blinked her eyes in disbelief, "But, how did you know it was her?"

"A bit of intimidation and interrogation. Apparently, threatening people gets quicker answers." Sasuke shrugged.

Erza brought her fingers to her chin, ignoring the curiosity to how Sasuke threatened other people, "Why would she want that scroll?"

"She seemingly wants to destroy it." Sasuke spoke unfolding his arms. He ignored the look of shock sent his way as he continued, "Some guy suggested it to her. I need to get more info on him."

"Oh, no. No more threatening the princess." She spoke quickly, trying to get the thought out of Sasuke's head before he formulates some kind of devious plan. "No more violence. We'll ask her after the games. The winning team has an audience with the royal members after all."

"That is if the games go on properly." He said.

"What do you mean?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself as the old lady now came to the table and placed the entire cake. He felt a bit nauseous, nonetheless gave a smile to the old lady thanking her.

Once she was out of the sight, he got up and sat in the chair beside Erza and spoke in a low tone. "Something is going on, Erza. I can't exactly put a finger on it."

Erza, who for some reason shifted her focus to the front, nodded. "I think this is what Jellal was talking about. There was something strange he had been sensing in the games for seven years now."

Sasuke frowned, but had a blank look as soon as she turned towards him. "You know, I met Jellal. He is actually a part of team B. Pretty quiet and humble guy."

"I know."

"When did he exactly talk about these anomalies?" Sasuke asked. Was it during that time?

"Not long ago, I think it was a few days back," Erza said, remembering the talk she had with Jellal. She was conflicted in her feelings until she had a talk with him. That was when she realized that she started to develop feelings for a certain Avenger. "Why, you jealous?"

Sasuke choked a bit. He drank the glass of water Erza handed to him. "Who said that I was- Why would I be jealous?" He asked incredulously.

"Yeah, right." Erza crossed her arms and sneered at him. "I wonder why the princess was interested in knowing about your favorite food."

Sasuke blinked in surprise, "She asked that?" After getting no response from the red head, "What all did she ask about me?"

Erza let out a sigh. "Forget about it." She said in a brusque tone. She did not want to speak anymore on the matter.

Sasuke regarded her tone for a moment, before he turned his attention to the cake. "I am sorry that I couldn't get to you... you know, regarding the letter. And, I am sorry if it seemed like I was avoiding you."

"Did you get so attached to the Princess that you had to avoid me?"

"I may have threatened her, but I wouldn't say I got attached. I am still puzzled as to why she asked about my favorite food item," Sasuke said, but Erza snorted in reply. "Wait, are you getting jealous now?"

It seemed like a highly improbable situation. Why would she become jealous if another woman showed an interest in him? It happened so many times in elemental nations, but she didn't say anything then. So, why now?

"I think I should just leave," she said calmly. She tried to leave, but could not get up as Sasuke caught her wrist pulling her back to the chair and pushed forward a slice of cake to her. She snorted looking at him, "You think the cake would get me to stay. I told you, I did not want it."

"And, yet you followed me to shop." Sasuke countered. "I wonder if it was the smell of it."

Erza narrowed her eyes, "You are crazy if you think I am going to forget everything, and just eat it."

He took a piece of cake and waved it under her nose, "Come on, I know you want to."

Erza leaned back, as sweat started forming on her smooth milky skin. "Don't do this to me!"

"I wonder why people just don't admit what they want. Life would be so simple that way." Sasuke said, still holding the slice near her nose. "The cake is entirely harmless, you know. It's not going to bite you. It is there to be bitten."

"I hate you." Erza said, her eyes on the cake. "You are mean, arrogant, selfish and a bastard."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "All that for one slice?"

"I still haven't forgiven you." Erza said, tearing her eyes away from it. "Accepting that slice would be like forgiving you."

"This is not just a cake." Sasuke said, placing the slice on a plate. He tore it into two right under her eyes, the strawberry icing breaking the frost, the tender pastry pulling apart into shreds as the whipped cream fell apart. "I heard that this shop makes the best cake in the whole country. It is just like your name, 'The Titania' except here it is 'The Titania of strawberry cakes.'"

Erza licked her lips, "I thought you hated sweets." She said. "Or, did the princess turn you into a cake freak?"

"Of course, no." Sasuke said taking the smaller small piece from the plate. He would never reveal why he was researching about the cake. "Taste it." He leaned forward, holding it under her nose. "Come on. We haven't got all night. We got games tomorrow."

"No." Erza said with firm determination. The rejection would have been effective if she wouldn't have clamped her lips shut, and then her eyes. She didn't care how ridiculous her face looked right now.

"Oh, that is very unlike you." He reached out, and pinched her nose. When she opened her mouth to protest, he popped the piece right in.

For once, Erza couldn't find the words to protest. Her face relaxed as the pastry melted in her mouth, a smile crimping across her face.

Sasuke sat back, relaxing his arms. _I might as well eat the entire cake. Feeding her the cake is like putting some knowledge into Naruto's head._

After swallowing the piece, she opened her eyes to see Sasuke holding another piece of cake so he could somehow avoid the talk. Also, it may also have to do with seeing that expression again that had spread across her face. "Come here, Erza."

"Yes," Erza beamed, then realized Sasuke was trying to make his way out of the situation. "I mean, no. No."

"You know, you say that a lot." Sasuke spoke. "But, what your mouth is saying doesn't agree with your eyes."

"What I want and what I have at the moment are two different things entirely. Though, thanks for showing me this shop, Sasuke." Erza said, leaning back a bit more until she sat on the edge of her seat. "I can come here and eat tomorrow. Now, get that piece away from me."

"Hn," Sasuke sat back and bit into the slice as she watched him with an envious look. The sweetness did distract him for a moment, but only for a moment as he observed Erza making a pout and shook her head at him.

" _Bastard_ ," She said.

Sasuke smirked knowing she was jealous. He bit into another piece as she had enough. "Okay, I am out of here." And wriggled her right hand to free it from Sasuke's grip. God, his grip was like too strong to free it from like vice claw, and she was sure bruises would form later.

"Could you release -" She began, as he popped another piece into her mouth and watched as her lips closed over the sweetness of strawberry icing. Her face was beautifully blissful, her mouth soft and pouted, with her lower lip glazed with cream.

Sasuke tried to shake his thoughts from his head, reminding himself about the scene he witnessed at the cliff, reminding himself of the miserable truth. But, his worries faded from his mind the moment she licked the last of the strawberry frosting as Sasuke felt all his uncertainties wash away.

He did not care if she liked someone else. He did not care if she had already kissed Jellal near the cliff. Heck, even he had kissed before… well, it was Naruto. But, still that counted as a kiss. He did not care any longer about the consequences. He breathed deeper letting her hand go, and went on impulse before she could open her eyes.

He leaned in, and kissed her, tasting the strawberry cake along with the damn sweetness and the heat of her mouth blocking out all coherent thought. She froze for a moment and then kissed him back, sweet and incessant.

Sasuke let the taste and the scent and warmth wash over him, drowning in her. The kiss continued for a good few moments before he felt two hands on his shoulder as she pushed him back. Sasuke frowned a bit, suddenly remembering what he had just done. His head dropped down slowly in contempt, his bangs shadowing his eyes.

He had compromised his bond with Erza, something he felt after a long time since before the massacre. Something akin to the bond with Naruto, and now he had went and ruined it. Before he could turn away to leave and bury his head somewhere else to repent on his actions, he felt the soft hands from his shoulder slide down to his chest and clutch his black cloak tightly.

He lifted his head to look at her and blinked in surprise. She sat across him, her sweater rising and falling under her quick breaths. Her chocolate brown eyes wide awake flashing with ardor, her lush lips split and open as she spoke,

" _Again_ ," She breathed heavily. He looked into her eyes, glad that she didn't push him away and the heat from before rushing back, making his head dizzy again. The irrationality came back clouding his mind, as he cupped her cheek and kissed her again.

* * *

 **And cut. Still the first day. What can I say? A long night. May have to reconsider changing the rating.  
**

 **Addressing few questions here,**

 **Why is Juvia a reserve member instead of Cana?** If Juvia made it to the team the first day in canon while Cana was the reserve member, I guess it means that Juvia is stronger than Cana. If Sasuke takes Juvia's place, then Juvia takes Cana's.

 **How strong is Sasuke here?** Well, if you have watched the recent Sasuke Shinden, I would say that strong. You know, the Rinnegan and Sharingan and single hand. But, since he has his two hands in this, maybe even stronger with the full abilities of the Rinnegan.

 **The infamous Naruto Sasuke tag team?** Hmm, You'll have to see.

 **The questions I haven't addressed means that they will be in the future chapters.**

 **That's it for now. Until then, later!**


	16. Chapter 16: Confession

**Here's the new chapter. Sorry for the late update. Had my exams going on, which will come to fuck me again in a span of few weeks. Life goes on.**

 **I never imagined since joining this website that I would get as many reviews as I did for a chapter.**

 **As always thanks hateme101, mohamed ali 02, LyHy, Shade Sword, LastStand000, Destroyer12, GV211, Roxas, The Sixth Day of Division, taran taran, Dark2SasukeUchiha, Destsword, JesusChrist, Dekkusu, Specter HellScythe, Rain-XIX, blacknredrose37, StopTeasing, Zedscep, Solace Master Of The Sun, ronlol2, pianomaster135, ActionTReaction, Dark Jutten, cristifilip372 and guest(x5) for your reviews.**

 **Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto and FT. This isn't beta read, so apologize in advance for typos, or grammar mistakes.**

 **Anyway, continuing on;**

* * *

 **...**

 **Chapter 16:**

Sasuke's eyes were dark, his face was calm, and Erza panicked under his grip as he leaned close again with the piece in her hand. She struggled trying to free her hand out of his vice like grip, only for few red patches to appear on her pale skin.

"Could you release-" She began before another piece of cake was slipped into her mouth. The heat of her mouth dissolved the icing as the cream melted, and the tang went everywhere taking her into a bliss.

Sasuke really knew how to bribe her. She was beginning to reconsider forgiving him as he didn't seem so distant now, but when she opened her eyes he was there with an unreadable look on his face. He released his hold on her, and leaned forward kissing her softly. She winced a little as his mouth perfectly locked up with hers. She tasted the heat of him, licking the strawberry cream of his lip. It felt good when she felt his tongue against hers, hot and devastating.

Her head began to feel dizzy, and she was out of breath so she placed her hands on his shoulders and gently pushed him back. After feeling a bit light headed due to all the blood rushing to her head, she glanced back at him to him hanging his head down.

She didn't want the moment to end. Afraid that Sasuke would leave mistaking her actions, her hands slid down to his chest and clutched his black cloak.

Why did he kiss her? Was it just to distract her? Was he drunk? Or, was it just on impulse?

She didn't care.

She held his eyes as his head lifted, looking as dazed as her.

" _Again,"_ she demanded, and he went to reach another piece of cake, but she said, "No, _you_." and grabbed his cloak to pull him closer. He cupped her cheek and kissed her again but leading the kiss perfectly like a snake expert which he was unlike the sloppy one they had before.

His hand slid behind her head as the kiss was deepened, and she fell into him, crackers exploding in her chest and the kiss was exactly as how she imagined it to be all the time she read those novels. She felt his other hand on her waist, sliding hot under her sweater and her blood surged at the contact his fingers had with her waist.

Few more seconds, and it would have ended into something else but some coughing came interrupting them.

"Am I interrupting something?" The old lady said, with a small smile on her face. "I am sorry for disturbing you when you were having a _moment_ , but I have to close the shop and the entire cake is still lying idle on the table."

Erza looked over Sasuke's shoulder giving her an apologetic smile in return. They really shouldn't keep the old lady waiting this late at night.

"Can you parcel it?"

..

Now that the blood rush was gone, and his trademark color had refilled his cheeks, he was at a loss of words.

He was walking back in the empty streets with the parceled cake's bag clutched in his right hand. He was far beyond confused as to why the red head was still accompanying and talking about the moon, talking to him about the conversation they had back in his world.

More importantly, forget the moon. He wasn't paying any attention to what she was saying as her chest was pushed up against his left hand and her arms tightly wrapped around it.

He should be happy, right?

Ah... only if he were as simplistic as Naruto. His rational mind tends to over think things, and now that it regained control over his mind, he was confused as to what exactly was going on.

Granted she kissed him back when he kissed her, but why did he act on such an impulse. And, that lush pushing against his left hand wasn't helping him at all, constantly distracting his rail of thoughts.

Oh, god. When did he become such a pervert?

He forced his mind again to work on why she kissed him back, and talked as if nothing had happened. In fact, she spoke so carefree that he himself had a doubt regarding the kiss. Was it some genjutsu?

She may have kissed on impulse. But, speculating wasn't going to help him at all. He had to know, since he thought that she felt happy in her world. He expected her to feel that way now that she was back in her world and among her friends. He thought that she felt nothing but gratitude towards him for rescuing her, and wanted nothing other than that towards him. He always assumed that was the case.

"Erza," He said interrupting her as her head perked towards him.

"What is it?"

Glancing a bit to face her, he immediately diverted his gaze to the front, away from her eyes which now seemed oddly beautiful to him at the moment. Clearing his head again, he glanced at the road they were waking.

"Why did you kiss me?"

"Why?" Erza repeated his question and looked to the front. "...you kissed me... so I had to kiss you back." She answered as if it were the most obvious answer.

"Not the bullshit crap." Sasuke said, before dialing down his tone upon realizing he was becoming rather anxious. "Why? I need to know." He needed to know why it happened. He was all but a novice in these kinds of things. He didn't know how it worked exactly. Were they supposed to pretend it never happened?

He needed someone to explain this.

All his life, revenge was his only goal. He tended to cut his bonds if a greater power was offered to him in exchange. Bonds had a meager value to him then, so he began his journey to search for the parts he lost when he was travelling down his quest for revenge.

He had no idea what to do in these kinds of things. The only guidance he had was the memories of his mother and father's relationship, but they were husband and wife. Itachi and Izumi's were ideal, but they were still around 11 back then. They didn't kiss and did that sort of stuff.

Erza had a sad smile on her face as she answered. "It's not something we think about, it just happens in the moment. But, it doesn't mean I would just go and kiss anyone who kisses me."

"No reason, huh?" Sasuke summarized and looked silently at her for a moment before looking to his front. A not so long moment flashed back in his head as he thought about it-

Love. The time when it seemed ridiculous to him.

..

 _"You are... really annoying."_

 _Sasuke's rinnegan widened a bit putting Sakura under a genjutsu and shoving a chidori into her chest in that illusion, knocking her unconscious._

 _"Sakura!" Kakashi rushed to her side being the closest one to her._

 _"You didn't have to put Sakura-chan under a genjutsu!" Naruto yelled clenching his fist, from where he stood._

 _Sasuke turned back, "If I didn't, she would have chased after us and gotten in the way."_

 _Kakashi placed a hand on Sakura's arm looking at her with a considerate look, "Sakura... Sakura just wanted to help you all this time."_

 _Sasuke looked at his former sensei with a staid expression, "So, you are suggesting me to enjoy a bit of romance? Well, I have no reason to love her or be loved by her."_

 _"The only time you need a reason is when you hate someone!" Kakashi spat back. "You don't need a reason to love others."  
_

 _Sasuke thought about what Kakashi said at that moment, but all that filled his mind were his dead parents and his brother sitting peacefully and laughing with him at the diner table. The only memory left of them where they weren't trying to kill each other off.  
_

 _"Perhaps, but those are ties to a failed past." He then jumped away from there, heading for the valley of the end to settle things with Naruto._

..

"Seems like Kakashi was right after all," Sasuke shook his head. _Also, I am beginning to understand Sakura's pain. To think that she encouraged me to go to this world..._

"Are you alright?" Erza asked leaning a bit to the front to gaze upon his face. "You seemed lost again."

Sasuke shook his head, "I am fine." He answered, before clearing his throat. "So, Erza. What now?"

Erza released her hold on his arm, and clasped her hands behind her back, "It depends." She said looking straight ahead. She thought about it. She knew Sasuke probably didn't have any clue as to what to do in these kind of situations.

Heck, even she didn't know anything about it. The only superior standing she got now was because of all the novels she read. On one side, she wanted to confirm his feelings for her. On the other side, she knows she can't, as she can't refuse him if he asks her to return to Konoha with him, though he declared that he will be staying in Fiore for a while.

Konoha was the home of Sasuke, and she knew that even if the village had made his family suffer, subdued them and isolated them, it was still his home. Normally, one would come to resent such a place, and she was beginning to understand why Sasuke defected from Konoha and never returned to it during his _glory_ days, mind her.

But, how did she know that? How much does she know about Sasuke's past?

Even if he didn't tell her, she had been in Konoha long enough to know what happened to his family and clan. At the start, whenever she went to market to buy something, the bystanders would normally approach her and suggest her to leave him and spout the same nonsense that his clan was evil, and that he had done many bad deeds in the past. Few old ladies suggested her to leave him and even asked her to look at their sons, a possible candidate for her husband after she leaves him.

The approaches were reduced as days went by, mostly because of glares and few poundings by her. Eventually people stopped approaching her due to her fierce personality, thinking she was a lost cause. She didn't care what they thought of her, she only cared enough to stand up for Sasuke, and prevent them from bad-mouthing him, which she did.

Even when half of the village hated him, he didn't seem to mind it. He looked like he had no problem, and still moved forward probably carrying it all with himself.

According to Naruto, it was the memories of his late older brother, Itachi Uchiha which compelled him to move forward and kept him connected to the village. When asked what kind of a person Itachi was, Naruto simply had answered that he was a great Shinobi and the kindest man he ever knew. When asked further, he advised her to ask Sasuke on that.

Sasuke of course, looked pained when it was brought up, so she didn't ask further on that. Looking at the miffed expression on his face upon remembering his brother and his family for some reason then hurt her too. He was already an anti-social person to begin with and his past didn't help his case. He was mostly by himself be it during his travels or his stay in Konoha.

She made a decision then to never let Sasuke feel lonely. Of course, she didn't have her memories then, so she forgot about it the moment her memories returned and also due to the relief of reuniting with her friends again.

Oddly enough, she remembered about her decision now. She was beginning to realize that she cannot refuse him even if her family and her comrades, her home was in Fiore.

But, right now her guild was in a peril state and needed her more than ever. Heck, it looked like it needed Sasuke's strength too to return to its former glory. The rest of them takes a back seat, at least until the games were finished with Fairy Tail at the top. Then, maybe.

She heard Sasuke speak something. Was he speaking this whole time, or was he waiting for her to finish contemplating?

"Huh?" She said. "Sorry, I wasn't listening. Could you repeat that?"

Sasuke sighed, "I was just saying what now? You seem interested enough in me. Normally people wouldn't demand another kiss if they weren't at least attracted to the guy, unless I am missing something here and have judged you wrongly."

Heat crept to her face, "I-I was just l-lost at the moment, okay!" She stuttered, before clearing her throat and composing herself. "Besides, you were the one who initiated it. And, I am not a sexual creep to demand another one. It's just... it was you on the other end." She mumbled the last in a barely audible tone, but Sasuke picked it anyway.

He coughed into his fist. A slight pink tinge colored his cheeks, which was quite a rare sight as he scratched his cheek. "True. So, do we just become the sort of 'couple' that the people call now-a-days?"

The blush intensified on Erza's face on realizing that Sasuke had just proposed in a so Sasuke like way, but she had to halt her emotions forcibly as it wasn't a wise decision at the moment. Her lips pursed as a conflicted look was seen on her face. "I am sorry. We can't at the moment." She said, while every fiber in her being said, _Yes, yes, anything_. Good thing her fibers can't talk.

Sasuke nodded slowly, "I see."

"I am not saying that we shouldn't... just not at the moment, especially when our comrades could be in danger... We need to focus on keeping them safe right now, and bring the guild back to its former glory for the sake of our comrades who suffered in our absence." She explained in a rather quicky and panicky way when she noticed a solemn expression on Sasuke's face.

Sasuke blinked, realizing that what she was saying was right. She was just the kind of girl who places her guild's and her comrades well being before her own. One who wouldn't hesitate to risk her life for her comrades, this similar trait shared along with his best friend. One who is truly kind, but also the the type who gets flustered and mad over a strawberry cake, dense at few things and laughs at bad puns.

"I get it, Erza." He spoke calmly, hoping to calm down the red head. "You are right. Grand Magic Games take priority as of now."

"Great," Erza said, calming down a bit. They proceeded to walk. They crossed a bridge as some comfortable silence ensued between them. "You are a great kisser, you know that."

"You are not bad, either," Sasuke smirked.

Some silence ensued again as Erza began formulating what she wanted to ask in her head, "So, did you, you know..." she began, "kiss anyone before?"

"Why the sudden interest?"

Her face became red at the question, "Hey, just keeping my options open!" She defended.

"Hai, hai." Sasuke shrugged. He then opened his eyes to see her looking at him curiously. "Nani?"

"Who was it then?"

Sasuke continued walking, "It was Naruto." Just as Erza was about to open her mouth, "Don't you dare. I won't tell you about how it happened."

"But, I didn't even ask anything... yet!"

"That look on your face is clear." Sasuke stopped seeing as they reached her inn. He handed her the cake.

"Here, and don't bring it up again. Forget I said anything." He slightly warned her as she nodded quickly. "Ja ne." He waved, and began walking in the direction his team was at with a small hidden smile on his face. Erza looked at the cover, before waving her arms muttering a good night.

Now, they both could concentrate on the games with their minds fully focused on it. But, at least their respective worries were gone about each other and some light shone on their relationship which was good news. They could focus on the competition with a peace of mind.

..

..

 **Day 2;**

Sasuke had a disinterested look, "Tell me again why we thought it was a good idea for Gajeel to participate in _Chariot_?"

"Gajeel-san was adamant since he saw Natsu-san competing," Juvia informed him.

Sasuke turned to the water user, "That's right. You and Gajeel were from the same guild before joining Fairy Tail, right?"

Juvia nodded, "I was a part of elemental four, while Gajeel-san was ranked above us. I may not be as strong as Mystogan-san, but I can hold my own."

Mira turned towards Laxus, "Maybe you too have this sickness that Dragon slayers do?"

"Don't tell anybody," Laxus sweated a bit as he crossed his arms.

"I think its pretty obvious at this point," Juvia pointed out.

Sasuke looked back at the race that was going on. People had to race on a moving vehicle and magic was allowed. And, apparently Dragon Slayers had this weird sickness for motion. The three dragon slayers on the scene were more than enough for Sasuke to confirm that. It was a bit strange was all. He turned to Juvia, "Do you have any sort of these _weakness_ that we need to know beforehand?"

"I can focus alright in a battle... It's just that I lose my concentration when..."

Sasuke turned to the blue head who replaced the previous blue head. "When?" He prompted her to say.

"I can't focus when my darling Gray-sama is involved!" She squealed as Sasuke along with Laxus and Mirajane sweat dropped. "His body tends to get exposed whenever he fights."

"That is creepy!" They turned towards the dugout where Gray was yelling, looking their way.

Laxus raised an eyebrow, "I never knew Gray had such keen listening abilities."

"Juvia loves how Gray-sama can even hear my words despite the distance!" Juvia said, covering her blushing cheeks with her hands. "Oh, Gray-sama!"

"Stop creeping me out!" They heard Gray yelling again.

Sasuke sighed, "I think he is being creepy now."

"Right?" Mira smiled. "Oh, it looks like it is finished."

They looked at the race to see Natsu and Gajeel finish last... again. But, it seemed like the other dragon slayer didn't mind crossing the finish line, letting the gen one slayers get ahead of him. Sasuke crooked his eyebrows, _Arrogant, huh_?

But, one thing stood out apart from their lame performance. It was Natsu's speech about participating for the sake of their comrades, who had been waiting for them for seven years. He got the same gist of it from Erza last night. Seems like Erza, Natsu and Naruto all were cut from the same cloth, while Gray seemed a bit more like him.

They then turned towards the screen to see the current standings.

Raven Tail - 22 P

Lamia scale - 20 P

Saber tooth - 18 P

Blue Pegaus - 15 P

Fairy Tail B - 11 P

Marmaid Heel - 8 P

Quattro Kerberos - 11 P

Fairy Tail A - 2 P

And, the first match began between a dog man and a snake man. Sasuke went with forward with those names as the contenders got involved in some weird bet, but he noticed that even though the snake person fought the earlier round, he was chosen for this bout. But, no matter how creepy his appearance might be, Orochimaru would always stand out for him.

And, in the end Kurohebi won which really wasn't much of a surprise.

"Poor guy," Mira looked sad at the fallen warrior, named Toby. He was crying his heart out, but a bet was a bet. Apparently he had bet to share a secret he never shared with anyone before.

He was lying down with one of his sock intact while the other one was missing. He began revealing the details of how he lost his precious sock, while tears rolled down his cheeks.

Sasuke was shaking. He wanted to know what was wrong with everybody, pitying with the guy... why? Because he lost his damn sock many months ago. It is tied around his neck for Kami's sake! "Oi, don't tell me you are about to cry?"

"But... he looks so sad, and it is such a sad story," Mira sniffed, as Sasuke's brow twitched. There was something seriously wrong with this girl.

"Look..." He began as the snake guy was decent enough to point to Toby's _lost_ sock. The guy named Toby became happy at this and began crying tears of joy. Whatever he wanted to say to Mira vanished the moment he also saw Erza empathizing with him. "Forget I wanted to say anything."

Then, the snake guy went and offered his hand. Just as it looked like the two combatants were about to shake their hands, he snatched the sock from him and tore it. Sasuke felt glad that the stupid sock was out of the way, but immediately began questioning his choice in the red head who was barely being restrained by Gray from attacking Kurohebi.

A bit of commotion was created, but the announcers were quick to start the next match. The next match began with the commentator announcing Bachus's name. And his opponent was Elfmann of A team.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the drunken guy, "Say, Mira. What kind of a guy is Bachus?"

"I would say he is as strong as Erza."

Sasuke kept quiet, before sensed something was up. One of the traps infused with chakra he placed near the infirmary got messed up. "I will be back in a moment."

Before Mira could look at Sasuke, he had vanished.

..

"Where are you guys taking Wendy?!" Natsu was yelling, chasing after three guys who had Wendy, Carla and Porlyusica. He had earlier disposed of a guy wielding guns.

"Let us drop them!" One of the guy yelled.

"Are you an idiot?" The other guy carrying Wendy argued. "Our orders were only to kidnap this blue haired girl. Why did you bring these other two?"

The guy carrying the old lady looked at the figure he was carrying, "I mean... doesn't she look like a girl from an angle?"

Natsu was infuriated, "What was that about kidnapping Wendy?!"

The guy carrying Wendy looked behind his shoulder, "That guy is too quick. Is he seriously the same person who competed in the that competition?" He then bumped into the guy carrying Carla in front of him. A vein popped in his head, "See where you are running, idiot!"

"L-look!" The other guy didn't say much, but pointed his shaking finger towards a guy in front of them having a glaring red eye.

Natsu halted, "Sasuke!"

Natsu stood on one side, while Sasuke stood on the other cutting off their escape path. The three assailants stood no chance as within a flash, Sasuke had decapitated two of them with two swift round house kicks, while the third one met the burning fist of Natsu. All the while this happened, Sasuke had managed to get the three who were captured back without any harm and had set them against the wall.

Few guards came rushing towards them hearing some explosion caused by Natsu's fist, "What is the commotion?"

"Commotion, my ass!"

Sasuke watched as Natsu went to argue with the guards regarding their security. Seeing as they were distracted, he bent down near one of the assailants and opened one of his eye. He then used his sharingan to check his memories, but there was nothing worth noting in it. They just received an anonymous request from someone in Raven Tail. That was all.

The only thing which seemed a bit suspicious was a brown cloaked guy handing that request. The insignia on his cloak which looked like a dragon with the upper half in red and the lower half in white was what got Sasuke into thinking. It looked like a rip-off of the Uchiha crest.

It could be someone from Raven Tail, but yesterday's actions regarding the princess searching for him and Erza going on his behalf left a bad taste in his mouth. It looked like something was actually going on in the palace. Could someone actually be trying to use the past disputes between Raven Tail and Fairy Tail? That was still a possibility, but for now further investigation required before he could confirm it for a fact.

Something was definitely going on. He then turned his attention to the blue haired girl who had woken up in the meantime. "Are you alright, Wendy?"

"I-I feel fine, Sasuke-san." She said bowing down. "Thank you for your concern, Sasuke-san. Thanks to you too, Natsu-san."

Sasuke was surprised by her polite gesture but did not show it on his face and nodded. Seeing as the guards had arrived on the scene, he put his faith in Natsu to take care of them if something pops up. "B team's match still isn't over. I'll be going now." He said vanishing from there, leaving Natsu, Wendy, the white cat and Porlyusica alone.

..

Getting back, the final match had started. Between Sabertooth and Marmaid Heel. Rather, it seemed that it was already about to be over. Despite Sabertooth being the top guild, it looked like there were strong wizards from other guilds too. A powerful female swordsman in this case from Marmaid Heel.

He walked into the arena through a passage available for audience. He did not see the need to meet up with his team, as this was the final match of the day- Kagura vs Yukino having already caught the news of Mira's win, which seemed to be all that was on others mind at the moment. Wonder what kind of display went on in that?

He stood near the passage exit to observe the final match, seeing as the crowd were on their feet for what was happening. It was a rather rare sight. Two giant eels were frozen in mid-air, as Yukino seemed powerless due to some force acting on her.

 _Gravity, huh_? Sasuke noted the observation as this white haired girl was on her knees and was panting. He was so indulged in the sight that when he noticed a laugh beside him, he was almost about to take out his katana and strike at the guy beside him. That was when he noticed a guy wearing a brown cloak beside him having a hood over his head, leaning against the wall and his hands folded. He had black eyes, pale skin and his hair was black. That was all Sasuke could get from his appearance.

"Relax, dude." The guy said. Sasuke noticed that his voice was a bit brassy and he deduced that the male beside him was no older than him as the voice seemed a bit young. The stranger continued, "I must admit though, it is such a rare sight to see a celestial arts user now-a-days. And, the opposite woman is a better swordsman than I imagined."

Sasuke not one for conversation, kept quite and observed the match ignoring the guy all the while keeping an eye at him. This guy was able to sneak up on him, which was no small feat. The match looked like it reached its climax with Kagura swinging her blade on a giant serpent, but the guy did not stop rambling much to Sasuke's irritation.

"You know, I once met a celestial wizard whose level was like no other. She was the best in the business," The guy spoke to Sasuke, as if he knew Sasuke all his life and was his best bud. Even Naruto never approached him this way the first time. "She was a fine babe, and had such a fine ass. Wish I had tapped that at least once."

Irritation became clear on Sasuke's face as the guy described her and what he wanted to do with her, "Why are you telling me all this?" Sasuke turned his head around and narrowed his eyes.

"Anna was a shy girl. In fact, she made it her mission to help others. I feel bad for talking about her this way, but her body says otherwise." The guy continued ignoring Sasuke's question.

Sasuke cleared his throat keeping his face blank and showing the scowl at his question being ignored, " _Do I know you?_ "

The figure seemed to blink, "Oh, sorry. That's right. My bad." The guy unfolded his arms. "My name is Kawaguchi. I am 23 years old.-"

Sasuke nodded at finally given a chance to speak, "Sasu-" He started to give out his name out of common courtesy, but was given no chance to finish as the guy didn't stop talking paying no heed to what he was saying.

"-I am one of the elite soldiers in my kingdom, which is quite big by the way. I like sweets, especially this capital's strawberry cake. You should definitely try that-"

"..."

"-My zodiac is Capricorn and my blood type is A." He stopped speaking as a blade was now pointed to his neck.

Sasuke had a rare pissed off expression and spoke in a calm, cold tone, "Stop talking, or I'll kill you."

"Woah, easy there hot stuff!" The guy reeled back raising his arms. "No need to get all grumpy. I will stay silent if its what you want."

"That would be much appreciated."

Sasuke was glad as the guy had quietened down, but almost winced when the guy started speaking again. "So, as I was saying, that babe was fine. In fact, I mistook her for one of the contestants in these games."

Sasuke sighed. It seemed like he had no choice but to listen to this guy, as he couldn't get anywhere with the crowd blocking the front and he couldn't just shove a chidori through him just for talking to him. As he looked for an exit to get out of there, the guy continued.

"But, this doppelganger is sexy too. I would love to get my hands on her, but my girl would murder me."

A ray of hope shone before Sasuke when he found an exit, so he decided to humor the guy for the first and last time, "Maybe I need to meet your girl and tell how much of a pervert you are."

"Please! Anything, but that!" The guy shuddered. Sasuke had a small victory smirk for gaining some sort of retribution on the guy who was constantly violating his ears. He turned his back on the guy, and took a few steps but halted when he heard Lucy's name being mentioned.

"I will stay away from Lucy if that's what you want, so please do not tell my girl. She is pretty scary as it is." The voice came as Sasuke understood the matter now. All this time, that guy had been talking about someone who was Lucy's look-a-like. Still, a fair warning had to be given to the guy to not go anywhere near his guild. If he was talking this much about her, then Erza and Mira definitely had to be kept hidden from this guy.

As he turned back, all that greeted him was a swirl of dust blowing his face as a piece of paper lay in the place where he stood before. Frowning, Sasuke went and picked over the scrap of paper. His brow twitched as he read the contents,

 _"Just kidding about the whole staying away from Lucy. My girl isn't here at the moment, so I am free to do what I want, Pretty boy. Your warning would have been null."_

Sasuke looked pissed as he clenched the paper, seeing as the guy had guessed that he was going to warn him.

 _"Ha ha, that expression on your face is priceless. Oh, and P.S: Your team-mates are cute too, :P!"_

"I am going to fuck'n kill this guy!"

* * *

 **And cut. Don't bother searching up Kawaguchi. He is an OC created for this arc. But, you can already guess his origin.  
**

 **Would a second hand really make him much stronger?** All of us were blown off our seats when Sasuke vs Kinshiki happened, and a thought must have popped into our head then- How would have the fight gone if he had two hands? His dominant hand is left hand, so it would help him a lot in Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. He needs two hands to perform other jutsu's of Rinnegan as far as I think. I maybe wrong. **  
**

 **Will Cana obtain Fairy Glitter?** Hmm, she would if she enters the team. Knowing Sasuke, she would probably get a chance.

 **I haven't forgotten the Jerza moment and it will be revealed soon.**

 **I know that Sasuke has been a lot quieter since his battle with August, but finally some action presents itself before him in next chapter.**

 **Next Chapter: Sasuke back in action.**


	17. Chapter 17: Underworld Bout

**Here's a new chapter.**

 **As always thanks to GV211, nsymina, JesusChrist, Last983, Darkzero698, TomR, Somi, LyHy, dimas_vaw, StopTeasing, taran taran, Dark Jutten, Josephantom and Devil's Darklight for your reviews. And special thanks to cristifilip372 for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or FT.**

 **Continuing on;**

* * *

 **...**

 **Chapter 17: GMG at nights?  
**

"What's wrong Jellal?"

The bandana covered man shook his head at the red head, "It is really strange. It's been two days and even after I did some sniffing around, I can't sense that magic power."

Erza crossed her arms. "You can't sense that magic power?"

"That's right," Jellal nodded staring at her, "The magic power we felt every year which was similar to Zeref, we still haven't sensed it... at least not yet."

"What does it mean?"

Jellal looked around the street they stood at, "I can think of many possibilities. If it is from a person, maybe they still haven't arrived to the capital yet." He paused. "Or, maybe they are in Crockus and are not using their power."

Erza nodded taking in the information before imploring about another possibility, "Or, they could be a contestant and haven't participated yet."

"If that magic is from a device or a location, perhaps the device isn't in operation." Jellal folded his arms shifting his stance a bit. "Or, there could be some sort of filler that screens the magic from leaking out."

"I could ask Sasuke to look into this," Erza said thinking on the matter.

Jellal looked at the red head, before nodding slowly, "It would be much appreciated if he could assist us. But, it seems he is already involved in something and has his hands full at the moment."

Erza realized something when he told her, "So, that's why he disappeared after yesterday." She mused as Sasuke wasn't intentionally ignoring her like she thought.

Jellal hesitated a bit before he asked her a question, "So, how are things between you and Sasuke?"

Erza blinked, before the images of yesterday night made their way into her brain. A small smile took on her face, "We decided it would be best not to be involved in that kind of relation at the moment. We thought to give it a try after the grand magic games though." She said as her cheeks flushed slightly.

Jellal nodded, "That's good to hear." He was fine as long as Erza was happy with Sasuke and he doesn't do anything to hurt her. He was about to turn around to leave when Erza continued,

"I think Sasuke was jealous of you."

"Jealous of me?" Jellal turned around and looked at her. He raised an eyebrow before realization struck him on remembering Ultear's words. "Oh, I see. So, he witnessed our almost kiss, huh?"

"I guess so." Erza chuckled a bit. "If you hadn't stopped though, it really would have happened." She added as she stared curiously at Jellal to grasp his reactions.

Jellal stood straight with a small smile, "I told you I have a fiancee. Of course, I couldn't better yet I wouldn't."

"Yeah, you are right." Erza's smile lowered a bit. "Anyway, don't do anything reckless to stand out."

Jellal wore his bandana cap, "Ultear has already been reminding me about it. I will be just checking on tomorrow's organizers and the underworld's bouts that has been going on for a while."

As he made his way away from her, Erza muttered in a low voice as she grew a bit worried for her old friend, "And, please don't do anything reckless to get killed."

Jellal turned back and nodded, "Roger." And headed out.

Erza stared at his retreating end before heading out in the opposite direction too.

..

..

"Ne, Sting-kun. You are upset, aren't you?"

"I am not."

"You are."

"I am not!" Sting yelled back. "I just need to blow off some steam. That is all."

The reddish-brown exceed felt his eyes water and sniffed, "You are now mad at me, aren't you? You never yell at me."

Sting's eyes widened a bit realizing that he just vented out his frustration on his best bud and immediately got down to the exceed's level, "I am so sorry, Lector. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"It's okay. I can understand your reasons for being angry," Lector wiped the tears away. "Even I am upset with Master's decision to strip and dishonor Yukino-san just because she lost a match. I thought he would give her a free pass just like he did to Rufus-kun."

Sting stood up and proceeded to walk, "She was weak. That is all. And, Rufus lost to an Uchiha. Even master knows to be reasonable." Lector opened his mouth to say something, but stopped as they had reached a shady entrance in the out skirts of the capital in the meantime. A huge boxer met them at the entrance.

"Sting-kun! Been a while." The guard smiled at the blonde.

Sting returned the greeting, "It's been a while, Bob." He shook his hand before looking inside. "Need to blow some steam. Got anyone worth fighting today?"

The boxer puffed his chest, "Actually, we do. He is unbeaten so far with twenty matches and still going strong."

"That's great news." Sting proceeded to walk inside as Lector followed him.

The boxer looked back, "Be careful, Sting-kun. This one looks a lot stronger than you, not that I doubt your abilities or anything."

Sting stopped walking and raised his eyebrow, "You sure seem to overrate him a lot, Bob. You do realize that my record here is one of the very best."

"I know that." Bob said. "But, this brat looks tough. The kind of toughness that is rare to see... you know just like the brat that beat your team-mate. What was his name again?"

"Sasuke." Sting answered with some disdain as a serious expression donned on his face. "Just as strong as him, you say. I'll be the judge of that." Sting walked inside ending his exchange with the guard. A huge crowd was seen around a caged ring. Many bar girls dressed in bunny and cat costumes were taking drinks to the people among the crowd.

Many criminals, wealthy businessman and shady looking people were present there along with many wizards from dark guilds. You could say, most of the underworld realm gathers here during the games. They bet on the actual matches during the day, and place their bets here in the night. A place truly fitting for scoundrels. What purpose did they have here?

"Sting, I hate this place. The last time I came here, somebody tried to buy me." Lector latched onto Sting's pant.

"As long as you stay by me, nothing will happen to you."

They pushed past the crowd, and just as they reached the front line the sight of a body clashing very hard against the steel cage greeted them. Just as the body dragged down along the cage and slid down onto the concrete floor, they looked back at the attacker.

The attacker was wearing a gray cloak up to his knees, his mask was seen clearly under the lights that were only shining on the cage at the moment. The mask looked like it was based off an animal and the hood was perfectly covered over his ears to prevent people from even guessing his hair color.

The Referee went inside the cage and checked the pulse of the fallen guy. He then showed an X sign with his hands as the crowd erupted into cheers. He then announced, "Mr. Awesome has won again. That makes it twenty two straight victories in a row."

A few suitcases filled with cash were exchanged among the audience as Sting laughed, "Mr. Awesome?! What kind of a lame name is that?!"

"I think it's awesome, Sting."

Sting burst into laughter at the pun Lector unintentionally made. Lector's eyes were filled with stars as he ignored Sting's laughter. "~And that costume looks cool."

Sting wiped off a tear holding onto his stomach, "Yeah, right."

As few bouncers went in and dragged the fallen guy outside, the referee went in again. "Is anyone else up for the challenge?" He shouted as the crowd fell silent waiting for their next match. The referee looked around, "I repeat the rewards since the streak has reached twenty two matches. The challenger, if he is able to break this guy's streak will be rewarded 10 million jewels whereas this guy receives a million jewels for each match won."

"Seems pretty costly here." Lector whispered to Sting.

Sting simply smirked, "Of course. Most of the wealthiest and crookest are here at the moment. While, the contestants may deal in millions, they get tens of folds of that amount should they win. That is how high the stakes are here. They even do not care if the contestants are from dark guilds, or he is an ex-con or a mass murderer. They just care if he is strong and if he is worthy for their bets to be placed on."

Lector simply looked amazed, "I never knew you had such kind of knowledge. Wow, you really have a brain."

"What do you take me for!?" Sting's vein popped. He crossed his arms as he huffed, "Besides, look at that steel like cage. It is made of material supposed to negate any kind of magic. Very costly in the world. Makes sense to build the cage with it since contestants tend to go all out."

"Is no one up for the challenge?" The referee looked around as Sting raised his arm. "Oh, we have a new challenger. Will he finally able to beat Mr. Awesome or will he be added as another one of Mr. Awesome's spoils?"

Sting entered into the cage leaving Lector behind the ref. People gasped as they instantly recognized Sting. The ref looked excited, "Looks like we have a real match at our hand, Ladies and Gentlemen. No introductions needed- it's Sting from Sabertooth, the former champion."

Sting smirked as the Referee continued, "On the other side, the man who still hasn't even broken a sweat even after twenty two matches, Mr. Awesome! Now, gents and ladies, place your bets!"

As the crowd seemed busy with murmurings and their bets, Sting went to have a chat with 'Mr. Awesome'. He had to rile things up a bit for it to be interesting.

"That name is ridiculous, isn't it Mr. Awesome?"

The masked man seemed to grin at this, "So does Sting. Is something stinging my back because people are becoming jealous of my awesomeness... Oh, yeah. It is because of you, ain't it, Sting- _kun_?"

Sting seemed ticked off by this, but masked his anger well, "We'll see if you can continue mocking after I am done with you."

"You can't even put a scratch my mask."

Sting raised an eyebrow, "Oh, and why do you think I can't?"

"Because I am awesome. Can't you see that it's in my name?" The masked man crossed his arms. He titled his head as Sting face-vaulted. "Are you an idiot for not even able to figure it out?"

Sting now shook with anger, "Just start the match already, Ref!" He nearly growled as he took a battle stance.

The masked guy also took a stance as the referee got off the cage and locked the door. He then raised his hand and spoke in the mike, "Begin!"

..

..

As Erza walked in the streets which were deserted again, she looked at the sky, "Another late night, huh? I wonder if the dinner party's already finished."

"Oi, feeln spiffy yet?"

Erza halted as she recognized the phrase instantly. It was from one of her friends from the tower of heaven. She looked around with a sense of nostalgia and warmth in her chest, as she spotted the hooded girl from the Marmaid Heel along with a guy whose back was faced towards her. The cat looking girl waved at her, "Long time no see, Er-chan!"

A smile formed on Erza's lips as her face beamed, "Millianna!"

Millianna jumped from her location and wrapped her arms around Erza's neck causing her spin. "Er-chan!"

"Millianna!" Erza said stopping the spin and breaking the hug, "So, you joined a guild!"

The neko girl nodded, "Yep, Marmaid Heel."

Erza interlocked her fingers with Millianna's, "Are Sho and Wally in the same guild?"

Millianna smiled, "What are you talking about? Marmaid Heel is a woman only guild!"

"I see."

"Those two are still travelling. I hear from them once in a while." The neko informed her.

"I see." Erza nodded before hugging Millianna again. Tears of joy formed in her eyes, pride filling in her chest on seeing that her friend whom she considered as her sister had grown up a lot in these years. At least she moved forward these seven years while she couldn't. Her eyes glinted with contentment as she whispered, "It is really great to see you again, Millianna."

"Me, too."

"Excuse me!" Some coughing interrupted them as the guy who previously stood beside Millianna jumped near them, "Ahem, darling. I would appreciate if you could introduce me to your beautiful friend."

The guy got down on his knee as he brought the hood down over his head revealing his spiky black hair and his pale skin. "Rare to meet a redhead so far out here. Am I lucky, or what?" he spoke keeping his head bowed down in an elegant manner. Then he took Erza's hand in his hand before she could react.

Millianna looked at Erza introducing the play boy, "Er-chan! This is Kawaguchi. He is a great guy even though I only met him an hour ago."

"You flatter me, darling." He spoke as he raised his head to have a good look at Erza's face. "Kawaguchi at your ser-service?" He froze at the familiarity.

He looked pale and started sweating for some reason. Erza also held a mild surprised expression as she got a good look at his face. "Sasuke?"

"I am not that jerk!" The guy yelled almost instinctively as Erza blinked and reeled back. It was true, this wasn't Sasuke but a loud mouth and a play boy like Loke. Still, there were some similarities. He had jet black eyes, hair and pale flawless skin just like him.

And, anyway why would Sasuke go flirting when he is looking into something. It is not possible, right?... wait! Jellal said he was looking into something and had his hands full at the moment. Was Sasuke seeing woman in his free time when he always disappeared? It was not plausible. Sasuke wasn't that kind of guy.

Kawaguchi immediately got on his knees and bent his head as his entire form was shaking just like a child who has been caught cheating by the invigilator. His skin had gone complete white, "T-This isn't w-what you think it is! I-I do not know her!" The guy bowed pointing his shaking finger at Millianna.

"Hey!"

"I really do not know her, honey!"

What? The confusion on Erza's face only grew as she raised her eyebrow, "Honey?"

Kawaguchi raised his head and looked equally confused, "...huh?!"

Some silence stretched what seemed like an eternity as Erza cleared her throat on realization dawning her, "I think you got the wrong person. My name is Erza Scarlet, a mage of Fairy Tail."

The guy blinked before getting back on his feet. He bowed down, "I am really sorry for the confusion. I thought for a moment that you were my wife. I am really sorry!"

Again, what? Erza and Millianna stared at him dumbfounded. They looked at each other before looking back at him. Millianna opened her mouth, "You are married?"

Kawaguchi froze again, "...oops."

They all were in a still position before Kawaguchi did few quick apology actions. He then took to his heels and fled from there on realizing that his folly had been found out, rather he gave himself out. Erza and Millianna were still shocked that they didn't recover from what had just happened.

And, they didn't notice another figure landing beside them either right after that. The black cloak fluttered as Erza turned her head and gaped at the newly arrived one, "Sasuke? What are you doing here?"

A squealing interrupted Sasuke. It was from the cat girl, "Oh, you are the Sasuke Uchiha! I saw your match on the first day!" Millianna beamed at the Raven haired teen forgetting about Kawaguchi in an instant. To be honest, she had met that guy only an hour ago. Sasuke here was a different case. "You were so cool!"

Sasuke raised his eyebrow trying to figure out who this girl was and what was her relation to Erza, "And you are?"

"Oh," Millianna realized her mistake before offering her hand, "My name is Millianna. I am a friend of Er-chan since we were children. Pleasure to meet you."

Sasuke glanced at Erza as she nodded. Then he gave a silent sigh and shook Millianna's hand, "I am Sasuke."

"I know!"

Sasuke coughed, "Anyway, Erza. No time to explain. We need to follow that guy." He said as Erza and Millianna blinked at him. Without any warning, he took her hand in his and started sprinting in the direction the guy ran causing her to stumble.

Erza blushed as she stumbled, "W-Wait!"

Sasuke stopped as Erza went off balance due to the sudden jerk caused by him. As she regained her balance, he looked in the direction Kawaguchi ran and muttered under his breath, "That guy must have sensed that I was watching him. Cheeky bastard!"

"You were watching this whole time?" Erza asked, her blush still intact as her hand still lay in his. The last time they held hands was when a meteorite threatened to level Konoha. That was a completely different scenario, but Sasuke's face still remained passive just like then much to Erza's disappointment.

Millianna watched the entire episode in shock as her friend Erza was blushing just because a guy held her hand. And, what made it more interesting was because it was the Last Uchiha responsible for her flushed cheeks. Sasuke looked at her and then in the direction the pervert went, "He sure is fast for an idiot."

He released his hold on Erza and scooped her under his arms before she could protest. Her blush intensified, "W-Why are you carrying me now?"

"That guy is fast. With our current speed we are bound to lose him." Sasuke answered her before nodding at Millianna. "We will be going. See you."

Before Erza could protest again, or wave a good bye to Millianna, he jumped onto a roof top with her. Channeling chakra to his feet, he leaped from building to building. Erza seemed mad and was pouting because Sasuke was practically abducting her without giving any reason and why were they following Kawaguchi of all people. Sure, she would love to teach that guy a lesson for flirting with her friend, but she was in a no hurry. She would be sure to capture him later, and punish him as painfully as possible.

At least there were few quirks for chasing him now. She was internally happy and could feel her heart pounding against her chest at the proximity. As the moonlight shone, she looked at Sasuke's face which still looked passive. She pouted as she leaned further into his chest to adjust her position better, but was surprised when she felt Sasuke's heart thumping equally hard against his chest too. That was when she noticed the slight blush on his cheek in the moonlight. It was almost invisible under the light.

As he jumped off another top, "I am sorry for not explaining anything and taking you away from your friend." he said as he looked at her startled face and smirked. "But, I don't think you mind it too much."

"H-Hey!"

"Anyway, I have reasons to believe he is related to Wendy's sickness." Sasuke told as shock became visible on Erza's face. "He is wearing the same cloak as the guy that handed the assailants their mission. You know the ones Natsu and I captured." He informed her. "His cloak has that exact same mark, the dragon insignia filled with red and white colors. It could be him, or one of his colleagues. I don't know."

She clutched onto his black top as Sasuke increased his pace, "Colleagues?"

"That's what we are about to find out." Sasuke said stepping onto a water tank. "I have been following him since the day was finished, and have information so far that he planned to meet his comrades near the place where the underworld bouts are held."

Erza recognized the underworld bouts from her earlier talk with Jellal, "I heard about it before. So, it really is present in Crockus."

"Yeah," Sasuke leaped onto another rooftop. "And, this is where you come in. I need you to go in and look for him while I keep watch on the entrance. I will be looking for his comrades."

"Why can't you search for him yourself?" Erza asked, as it seemed like a better idea for Sasuke to search for him.

"For some reason, he is able to sense me easily even if I use transformation jutsu," Sasuke said adjusting his hold on Erza a bit as she blushed, "And, again for some reason he let his guard around you. He won't be suspicious of you."

They stopped as they reached near the edge of the city. He let Erza down as she adjusted her balance. Then, she looked at the gate with a slightly worried expression on her face. This guy she was supposed to spy was able to slip past Sasuke's watchful gaze. Need to be pretty good to do this, right? "Do you really think that I can-"

"Trust me, Erza." Sasuke gave a reassuring smile. "This is why I brought you with me. You are strong and are capable of handling even if something pops up. And, if things were to get serious or he does anything funny, I will be beside you in an instant."

Her worries were lifted as she returned the smile with a nod. She then narrowed her eyes at the entrance where a boxer stood blocking few people from going in. She observed that few ladies were allowed to go in without any checking probably because they were bar girls. They were wearing bunny and cat costumes, "I can get in, easy."

"Hn," Sasuke nodded. "Be careful."

"I will."

Sasuke was so immersed in watching the entrance that for a moment, that he didn't notice Erza's requip beside him. When he turned back to look at her, he was taken back for an instant at the dress she wore and how beautiful she looked in it... well erotic speaking in a way.

Erza requipped into a white neko costume with white cat ears and paws and a tail. As she stood and adjusted her hair bangs, she looked at Sasuke to see him staring at an expression she never thought was possible on his face. Her lips twitched up.

"What?" She smirked when Sasuke immediately averted his eyes. "What's wrong? Am I looking so bad in it?" She asked with an innocent expression.

"N-No." Sasuke mentally cursed himself for stammering. He reorganized his composure and looked to the front door. "You look alright, I guess." He added as she rolled her eyes.

"Fine." She groaned a bit before landing on the ground carefully. She then showed him a thumbs up sign as he nodded in confirmation. So saying, she walked to the front entrance.

Getting in was pretty easy for her as she mixed herself into the new set of bar girls that were to go in. Once she went in, Sasuke pushed back the worries that started building inside him regarding her safety. He knew he was being paranoid worrying for her, when he knows that she was one of the strongest here and people would think twice before challenging her.

Still, concerning who she was spying this time, he was a bit worried. Shaking his head to clear his negative thoughts, he took a deep breath in and focused on the task at hand.

..

..

Sabertooth was the strongest guild at the moment. A guild cannot claim to be strongest without having equally strong members. A guild with weak members could never become strong enough with Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale in the race for the title of the strongest guild granted Fairy Tail was not there.

She knew that change was the addition of five strong member and she knew four of them. She certainly recognizes the blonde dragon slayer of Sabertooth guild with the same cocky attitude as their own blonde dragon slayer. What she hadn't expected was seeing him in a place like this which was surrounded by old filthy men and perverted scum.

And, certainly was not seeing him being pushed back with ease. What kind of an opponent was he facing?

Erza pushed past the girls to get a good glance at the enigma who was doing the miracle. As soon as she got a view, she was in a shell shock. Not because she recognized the man through his tight outfit. And, certainly not because of his moves and skills.

But, because of his costume. That guy was wearing an animal mask. Which could mean only one thing.

What the heck was an Anbu black ops doing here? And, more so when Sasuke was in the same town.

Does Sasuke know about this? He couldn't have, as otherwise he wouldn't have sent her in. That means that the Anbu in front of her may or may not be an Ally of Konoha. Her head began to ache at the new complications. Things were getting messier, so she decided to retreat to watching this bout, temporarily giving up her search on Kawaguchi.

The fight had reached its climax. A bunch of debris surrounded him as Sting lay panting. He raised his right fist, it being coated in a white aura. Dashing forward, he punched the guy as he turned into dust… again.

 _What kind of a weird magic is that?!_ Sting looked around for his opponent who had disappeared again for the nth time. As soon as he turned to look at behind him, he had been yet again punched in the face, a bunch of smoke enveloping around the masked man as he revealed himself. The masked guy got into a battle stance again as Sting rolled on the floor due to the punch.

Wiping the bruise of his chin, Sting glared at Mr. Awesome _. It has to be a kind of smoke magic. I am sure of it!_

"Ne, Sting-kun. I think the match has been drawn out for quite some time." The masked man began as Sting got into a defensive stance. "I should give you credit though. You lasted longer than my previous opponents, you know. As a common courtesy, I won't fool around anymore. It's about time we finished it."

Sting looked warily as the masked guy held his right fist upwards. It started glowing in a bright yellow which was seen clearly despite the bandages wrapped around his fist. It began with a faint light at first, but with one single crack of his wrist, the power escalated. The power if he were to describe was unlike any he had ever seen. It felt oddly warm despite the dangerous pressure it was emitting.

He also began coating his right fist with the remaining amount of magic he had left for the day.

 _I'll put the remaining amount of magic power into this dragon fist_. He used all the power he was willing to spare for the day seeing as the games still had to be played tomorrow. He did not want to spend all his energy and earn the wrath of his master the next day for the usage of all of his energy. To be honest, it was fine as long as he wins in the games and he was sure he was not going to lose anytime soon... well, now could be a different case.

"This will be the final clash," Sting spoke showing his fist at masked dude as the dude nodded.

As soon as he spoke the words, both the contenders immediately rushed towards each other and their punch met in mid-way sending a shock wave across the entire area. A gush of wind erupted from the clash pushing back the spectators and causing them to wobble in their positions.

Gold met White as the colors tried to push each other back in dominance. But, the struggle lasted for only two seconds as the golden aura dominated his white dragon slayer magic. With one final spurt from the masked man, Sting was thrown back with a lot of force.

He groaned in pain as his form slid along the cage, and fell down all battered and bruised. He panted heavily, struggling to maintain his conscious. The light died down in the meantime, but Erza saw it all.

 _W-what kind of brute force is that?_ Sweat dripped of her skin, as Sting was escorted to outside the cage where an exceed was waiting for him. She contemplated in her thoughts as the masked man raised his fists upon the referee announcing his win.

"W-Woah!" Even the referee was surprised by the result. "Mr. Awesome has done it again! This is his twenty third victory straight victory, this time against a member of the strongest guild." Cash was exchanged as Erza became disgusted with how things were going on. Corruption in plain sight. She was barely controlling herself, constantly reminding herself that she was here on a mission. The referee continued in the meantime, "Is there really no one capable of defeating Mr. Awesome?"

Erza looked back at the masked man who went back to his side of the cage. Well, there was a way to temporarily stop the exchange of money that was going on. She could try to cut down their current source of amusement, the Masked man. That guy was strong, and she was not sure if she would win if she fought him. It would certainly put a dent into her mission, but she could not bear it any longer. The scums and the scenery reminded her too much of tower of Heaven and the Coliseum.

She narrowed her eyes at the masked man who held his hands on the back of his head, looking ignorant of what was going on around him. This seemed to boil Erza's blood even further. "I am sorry, Sasuke."

"Is there no one who is ready to challenge Mr. Awesome here?!" The ref asked desperately looking for a challenger. All the people who were ready to challenge the masked guy withdrew after his display against Sting. Erza looked around at the with drawn challengers who had their head bowed down. A Bunch of cowards.

She then turned back to the cage.

"Is there really no one? Can you people allow him to leave with twenty three million jewels plus another fifty million for being the last man standing today?!" The referee was practically begging.

Erza reconsidered her decision for a moment. Seeing that despicable look on the ref's face was satisfying in a way. But, there was a bigger picture here. She set aside the tray of drinks she was carrying around and raised her hand. The ref's eyes lit up.

"Finally a challenger!"

Erza frowned. It was because the ref's eyes were lit up because another hand bet her to it. Bringing her hand down as disappointment settled on her face, she decided it was time she found that Kawaguchi. Just as she was about to leave, her head snapped back towards the fighting ring on the announcement.

"Our current reigning champion could no longer sit silently and has decided that it was time to take matters into his own hands." The referee announced with such enthusiasm that it was easy mistaking him for a puppy squealing over a long lost bone. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Kawaguchi!"

Her jaw hung down as the Kawaguchi entered the ring in slow strides with a serious look on his face. She did not think that the play boy was capable of such a stern expression. Forget about spying on him for intel, she could provide a lot more than that from her current standing, "Well, I'll be damned." Sasuke was going to be a lot pleased.

..

..

Meanwhile,

As the fight between Sting and the masked man went on, Sasuke sat in the cold winds perched onto a ledge like a hawk, his red eyes scanning the entire area. Even the tiniest details did not miss his eyes as his head scanned the entire vicinity near the entrance. His extreme sensitive hearing picked up a thud voice, as his head snapped in the opposite direction towards an alley.

Two figures pulled back, and leaned against the wall so hard that you could mistake them for a poster. Both figures were covered in the exact same cloak as Kawaguchi. One figure here was shorter, his height was about the same as Wendy or Romeo. The other was a medium height thin figure with the dragon signia on the left of her shoulder.

"Do you think he spotted us?" The first person whispered.

"Baka!" The female of the two hushed him. "Why did you have to topple that box?" She reprimanded him, for kicking a box responsible for the thud sound.

The first guy blinked, "Well, I am sorry. I didn't know a cat was going to pounce on me."

"You got scared of cats is what happened," The female spoke rolling her eyes at the midget. "Seriously, who gets scared of cats?"

"That cat was black as the pits of hell and its eyes was scary, mind you." He argued in low voice, his face still firmly against the wall as well was the female's. They stared into each other's face, their faces clearly uncomfortable due to their prolonged strained position. "Cats are scary."

"No, they aren't."

The female agreed with the voice, "Yeah, they aren't. That's what I have been trying to tell you."

"I did not agree with you," The boy said looking confused.

The girl blinked too, looking equally baffled, "Well, then. Who did?"

Realizing that there was someone else besides them, they both turned around very slowly, their body creaked as their joints seemed to rust and shock plastered on their faces. They heads creaked slowly as their eyes met with the same gleaming red eyes that were scanning the area. The black cloaked figure stood with a monotone look on his face, his eyes narrowed at them.

A cold breeze hit their dry faces, causing them to shiver as Sasuke spoke first, "What is your relation to Kawaguchi?"

* * *

 **And cut.**

 **Before you ask, no. The masked man isn't an OC. Cheers if you can guess his identity. The fight between him and Sting might be confusing for you, but once his identity is known, it will make sense.  
**

 **A personal landmark for me. I have finished typing 100k words for a fic at last.**

 **ReadxReview.**

 **Until then, later!**


	18. Chapter 18: Uchiha Survivors

**Yo guys. The exams are finally finished and I have a lot of free time now. So, you can expect more updates, or even new fics.**

 **As always, thanks to iskandarrobby47, AtlasofChaos2000, D. 2.0, Mobydicks, hateme101, Uchiha badass, taran taran, blacknredrose37, StopTeasing, DragFire, fer gp, Lord-Itachi123, GV211, islamy96, yohanl2001, Solace Master Of The Sun, Devil's Darklight, GB108, Dark Jutten, cristifilip372 and guest(x2) for your reviews. They are much appreciated.**

 **I didn't expect most of you to guess the masked man's identity. Well, maybe I should have revealed even lesser details. Oh, well. And one of you have also guessed my OC's identity. Cheers to Dark Jutten.  
**

 **Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto or FT. Belong to their respective owners.**

 **Continuing on;**

* * *

 **...**

 **Chapter 18: Uchiha Survivors**

Punch was met with a punch. Each kick was countered by the other. Nothing seemed to separate the two combatants who went at each other with everything they got. Physically, as far as Taijutsu was involved, the masked man and Kawaguchi were equal.

With a swift quick to his chest, the masked man was sent flying back before he got back on his feet. He let a cough out as he rubbed the pain he felt near his chest. He grinned despite this.

"That is quite some power you got there."

Kawaguchi scoffed as the masked man got into his stance again. He had to be a bit wary as the Kitsune masked man still didn't use his weird smoke magic, as others had dubbed it. He watched Kitsune channel his energy into his feet as he lunged forward.

He bent to his side as he watched the punch from Kitsune move past his vision. As his punch was left hanging in mid-air, Kawaguchi countered punching him in the face. The masked man fell back as he disappeared into a puff of smoke.

Reappearing behind the current champ, the Kitsune delivered a fatal punch to his face. The man seemed to stumble as he fell down. The grin on the masked man's face vanished when he observed the man turn into a puff of smoke too.

"W-What!?" A kick intercepted him in the back as the masked man fell forward. Getting on his knees, he looked over his shoulder at the calm face of Kawaguchi.

"That was a Kage Bunshin..." Kawaguchi observed the Kitsune flinch at that. "Just as I had suspected." He nodded as if he had already guessed it. So, that meant that the surrounding rubble were all his clones transformed into it. Requires a lot of chakra and high skill to do it. "Who are you?"

Dusting of his pants, the Kitsune faced the man. "You know, I have the exact same question running in my mind." He adjusted his stance as Kawaguchi mirrored his movement. "You are a shinobi, aren't you?"

"Was. I was a shinobi. I am just a wanderer now." Kawaguchi answered with some disdain. He bent his head down a bit as his fists shook. The entire atmosphere around him shifted, as blood began going down his vessel, his heart thumping loudly. He felt …anger and irritation just listening to the Kitsune talk. "There is…just something about you." He snarled, flames banking.

"You mean my awesomeness?" Kitsune titled his head.

"Humph, I have to agree on that. You are strong, indeed." The play boy replied shifting a bit. "But, there is just something about you that shakes me up." Every fiber in his being felt uneasy, like the guy in front of him was his long destined enemy. His mere existence felt intolerable for some reason even though he hadn't met him until now.

The masked man had his hands up his head, "Not that it matters, but are you by any chance a long lost cousin of Sasuke?"

Instead of retorting like he normally would, Kawaguchi just closed his eyes and laughed. "You could say that in a way. But, it is by a long shot."

"Heh!?" The masked man flinched as he nearly face vaulted, "You mean to say… you are related to that Bastard?!"

"Enough talking around." Kawa spoke in a stern voice as he opened his eyes. "I am not one to hold grudges, but something about you tells me to eliminate you. Don't take it too personal."

The cheery expression inside the mask of Kitsune vanished as he stared at the godforsaken red eyes. A sweat rolled down his temple. "The S-Sharingan!?"

..

..

* * *

Sasuke jumped to his side, dodging a fire fist aimed at him. Just as his cloak was about to swirl down, the floor underneath him froze, capturing his legs. A smirk played on his lips, even though he stood at a disadvantage. It was like he was in a mock battle with Natsu and Gray.

"So, you are a dragon slayer?" He asked the boy in front of him who was of the same age as Wendy. "What is your name?"

"Why should I answer, mister?" The boy cracked his fists in flames, moving forward to punch the guy. He was the guy that Kawaguchi nii-san seemed to warn him against. So far, he hadn't been doing much except for dodging. That was until he caught his fire fist with his bare hand. "W-What?!"

Sasuke stared down the boy as he broke the ice capturing his legs with his katana. This kid's magic was exactly the same as Natsu. And the girl's…

Ice bullets slid past him as he released his hold on the boy. Yup, she was definitely using the same magic as Gray. She also looked like the female version of him. Raven hair, along with a delicately built body, face young enough that he might have thought she was barely older were it not for the full breasts underneath her fishnet armor.

Her dark eyes scanned his movements that was too old, too practiced, to belong to a child. At least eighteen- maybe older.

The kid regrouped with the girl in the meantime, "Nee-chan, I didn't need your help." And much to his annoyance, his sister ruffled his hair.

"Yeah, whatever you say," Her smile was faint but vanished as it shifted to the guy in front of them, who had been eyeing them curiously. She flicked her long raven hair behind her back, "We do not wish to fight you." Yeah, it was true. They had been trying to lay off cover. Fighting a full on battle right in the center of the city would definitely blow their cover. It was not what they want now, at least.

"Hn, I'll be blunt." Sasuke activated his sharingan. He observed the two in front of them stiffen at this. Hmm, maybe they know about the sharingan. "Why did you guys try to kidnap Wendy?"

"Who's Wendy?" The girl asked. Who was he talking about and why would they want to kidnap her? Her gaze fell onto her brother only to see him recognize the name.

"Somebody tried to kidnap her?!" The kid asked, his voice trembling a bit.

That was just great. It seems like this brat had a crush on his guild's little dragon slayer. "Do not try to hide the truth. We are currently interrogating your comrades." Sasuke lied. The goons did not know anything. He had checked their memories with his sharingan after all.

What happened next, he couldn't have predicted. To say that it shocked him would be an understatement. He blinked in disbelief, as he could not believe his eyes.

The mission he has come for, to provide salvation to the living Uchiha on this side, looked like it was in his reach at last. Now he understood why this kid and the girl felt familiar. Uchiha clan was always a tight knit community. There were many similar resemblances among the members of the clan, like the hair or their skin complexion.

The resemblance those two bore… there was no doubt about it. The boy looked a bit like Obito, and the girl... well, even he had to admit her beauty. But, then again, he assumed that it was only natural since she was an Uchiha. Naruto was in for an eye treat when he arrives.

He steeled himself, hiding his emotions, now staring blankly at the boy who yelled at him furiously. "Who tried to kidnap her?!"

Even his sister, if his guess was correct seemed to be taken aback by the sudden outrage. A set of new two tomoe stared at him, as if demanding to be answered. Judging by the look of surprise on the girl's face, he deduced that it was his first time activating his sharingan. And, the kid hadn't even realized it.

He sighed. For kami's sake, you got to be kidding him! This kid activated the Uchiha clan's prized doujutsu for the sake of a girl. Sasuke could only hope that the kid doesn't end up like Obito. The last thing this world needs is an Obito, trying to destroy the world just because his crush got killed.

Letting out a sigh, Sasuke began. "And, what is your relation with Raven Tail?" He knew the answer to that question. But, he had to ask for formality sake, just to be on the sure side.

And, the reply he got as a dragon breath aimed at him, which was instantly frozen before it reached him. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow as the female began scolding the kid. Still, freezing the flames was a first.

"Are you trying to kill him?" She began. Their mission was to lay low, and they needed to get moving soon. The outside battle must have surely caught the official's attention, who might be here at any moment. She pulled an ear of the kid who yelped in pain.

"I am so-sorry!" He apologized. He immediately rubbed the reddened ear which his sister let go. He looked over as Sasuke hadn't moved from his spot.

"You make a run, I'll cover our exit." The girl commanded, as the boy took a few steps backward. Shifting her attention to Sasuke, a chilly mist formed around her, "As much as I would like to continue chatting with a fellow Uchiha, we need to get moving."

Sasuke instinctively dashed forward realizing what she was about to do. The girl had finished her spell in the meantime as she touched the floor with her fingers. As soon as she did, magic soared through the road and a huge ice wall formed. It blocked the entire pathway along with the mist covering his field of vision.

Well, it was to be expected as he suspected her to be a part of the Uchiha clan too, which means she knows about the Sharingan. Blocking the opponent's field of vision was a given. His three tomoe spun around shifting into ocular pattern.

"Amaterasu!"

Black flames flared onto the ice burning it down. "Kagutsuchi!"(Flame control!)

The whole ice broke down as he caught the sight of fleeing girl with the boy no longer in sight. Frowning up a bit, he jumped past the broken ice pieces and landed directly in front of her.

The girl halted as she leered at the sight of Sasuke, "Quite a persistent stalker, aren't you?"

Sasuke eased up his feet, revealing his eyes, "I ask you this again, what is your and Kawaguchi's motive?"

She gasped on realizing the danger her opponent possessed. The Mangekyou Sharingan… the eyes of unimaginable power. From the moment you awaken them, it was said that a slow descent into darkness begins. She gulped as she took out a sword, "Kawaguchi ni-san told us that you lose sight as a compensation for the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan."

They also knew what the Mangekyou was, huh? Interesting. "I take it that the pervert is also an Uchiha." It pissed him off to no end to know that an Uchiha behaved in such a fashion. His father had always taught him to behave well since Uchiha was an elite clan.

"We three are." She answered, all the while being wary of the man in front of her. She slid one of her arm behind her back slowly as she tried to stall him, "He also told us it helps us to control the Dragons and some tailed beasts he mentioned. I honestly don't know what they are."

"Do not try anything funny," He warned observing her hand slid behind her back. She froze at the command.

Ah, to hell with it! She flipped the sword in her hand- metal reverberating through the alley. A chill wind edged in mist danced between the fingers of her other hand. Not static like Gray's or Dynamic like Lyon's.

Not even her brother knew what it was, where it had come from. A gift from the ice god, from Boreas, Kawaguchi mused- an icy gift to an equally icy, cold individual. A wild smile danced on her lips, as she let her magic rise to the surface, letting the black ice fill her finger tips. "Ice God's Rose Bloom!"

Icy black petals formed out of thin air, as the snowflakes descended down. He wondered if they could also use chakra along with magic as he inspected his arm. So, the snowflakes were there to restrict his movement, huh? "That's quite an interesting ability."

There was that look again. Argh, dammit. This guy was fighting as if he was inspecting them, testing their ability. He was looking down on them, not at all taking them seriously. Scrunching up her face, she began to mold some more magic before an explosion interrupted her, coming from the direction of the underworld bouts.

She noticed some worry flicker in his eyes as he snapped his head in that direction. Seeing as the stalker seemed distracted for a brief moment, she dashed forward forging an ice sword. Her strike was met with a flash of silver as a red head filled her vision.

Sasuke turned his head and glared the back of the red head, completely ignoring the strike which was just being aimed at him. "What are you doing here?"

"You know, I got worried that you were seeing some woman while I wasn't there." Erza began in a rather sarcastic tone. With a strong push of her sword, she managed to get some distance between them and the Raven haired girl. "And, it turns out that you really were."

"What about the mission?" He asked. What was that explosion about? And, why would she think that he was seeing another woman. "This isn't like you to be jealous."

Much to the annoyance of the Raven haired girl, Erza too ignored her. She turned back and pointed her sword at Sasuke, "You know, when I said 'later', I meant after we win the games."

Sasuke blinked recalling their conversation, "Of course, I knew that." She thought of him as that stupid. "I am not an idiot when it comes to things like these." He had been a fool in lot of other cases after all. He had played right into the hands of Itachi, then Orochimaru and then Obito before finally finding his way.

"That doesn't mean that you can see someone else in the meantime."

"Are we really talking about this now?" Sasuke wanted to just groan and go home. He never expected Erza to be possessive. Well, the world was really full of surprises. "What happened to Kawaguchi?"

"Ah, apparently…" She wasn't able to finish as the air around them heated up. They all jumped, dodging a fireball which splashed against the ground. "That was close!"

Steam began rising up from the ground. Sasuke blinked as he instinctively stood in front of Erza, his sharingan flickering dangerously at the attacker. Kawaguchi helped the Raven haired girl onto her feet.

"Are you alright, Sachi?" His siblings' safety always came first to him. For him, keeping them protected, keeping them safe would always come first since he was partly responsible for dragging them into his mess.

"Yeah."

Watching the interaction between them reminded Sasuke partly of Itachi as he lowered his arms. His brother went to great lengths just for saving him, even as far as to killing his clan and his parents. Maybe, the Uchiha clan members over here weren't exactly a lost cause like he thought them to be.

He looked back between a combat ready Erza and them. Two dreams believed to be long lost, he realized as the chilly wind ruffled his hair. That he would do anything- sacrifice himself to protect.

A Kitsune mask wearing guy jumped in front of him, with his back faced towards him. Ah, three if he considered his brother in arms.

"Took you long enough, Naruto." Sasuke spoke in a calm tone closing his eyes.

The masked man fidgeted around and looked back. "W-What are you talking about?" He stood proudly, pointing a finger to his chest. "I am Mr. Awesome. My awesomeness has travelled the whole land and my fame had spread far across and wide to the east and west from here. I have around three thousand followers, waiting for me back at the temple."

"So, have you learned his abilities, Naruto?" The blonde flailed his arms in protest as Sasuke ignored his indignant sputtering. He turned to Erza, "So, Naruto was in there fighting and somehow the fight got out of hand."

"My name is Mr. Awesome!"

"That pretty much sums it." Erza nodded. "It was confusing at first, but as the fight progressed, it became clear to me that the masked man was Naruto."

"Hey!"

Sasuke sighed, "You should have just informed me that you were arriving." He opened his eyes towards the blonde. Then again, the idiot was never really one to follow protocols. "But, I guess you always have been unpredictable."

As smoke rose towards the air, Sasuke picked up multiple footsteps heading towards them. He was sure Kawaguchi picked it up too as he was already on his feet and had held his sister by her arm. Naruto also seemed alarmed as he sensed multiple people approaching towards them.

"Must be Rune Knights." Sasuke said looking around. There was quite some havoc over here. Firstly, there was a big hole in the ground as smoke raised from it. Few buildings seemed to be damaged too, but nothing much intense except the road, which was frozen here and there.

"Get rid of the outfit." Erza suggested to Naruto as he still tried to continue up his act. "The guards will be here soon, and it will be difficult to cover for you if you still maintain that shady outfit."

"By shady, you meant how awesome my outfit is, right?"

Erza rolled her eyes and turned towards the entrance of the underworld bouts to see many people taking to their heels. As the wind blew slightly grazing against her skin, she observed Sasuke. He was staring Kawaguchi with his sharingan activated in his right eye.

That was when she noticed the pattern of the Rinnegan in his left eye as the wind slightly brushed of his bang. He just specified about it once to her, but never really showed it to her. He always kept it hidden under his left bang. But, this one didn't have comas, or tomoes as he liked to say. Was his visual prowess already weakened?

Sasuke continued to gaze Kawaguchi as he stared right back. He took out a smoke bomb as Naruto tried to move forward. But, Sasuke gripped his shoulder, preventing him from chasing Kawaguchi. He shook his head as Naruto looked over his shoulder, letting go of the chase.

A smoke bomb went off as Kawaguchi had disappeared along with his sister.

A few silent seconds passed as Naruto took of his disguise. He grinned, "So, where can we find Ramen in this god forsaken city?"

Erza and Sasuke looked around at the damage once more as Rune knights entered their field of vision. "I think Ramen will have to wait, dobe."

"We are going to get an earful from Master." Erza sighed and massaged her temples.

Naruto titled his head, "Master?"

..

..

* * *

Sasuke and Naruto never really cared much about etiquette. Oh, they knew respect had to be given where there was due. But, right now, they would prefer waiting for Kakashi to appear than hear the rants from their master, well Sasuke's for now at least.

"You brats! I was summoned by that advisor and I hated seeing his face again." Makarov yelled, a vein popping up his forehead. "You cannot even imagine how much I hated seeing his smug face!"

Sasuke stayed silent, but Naruto sure as hell wasn't. "Well, it really wasn't our fault, Jiji. We had to act on self-defense."

"Why were you even near that area?" He asked. "That area crawls with many thugs and ruthless criminals. What business did you have around that area?"

"Some guy asked me to fight for him after I rescued him." Naruto shrugged.

"You didn't even bother asking why?" Makarov asked in disbelief. "Next time some guy comes and asks you to strip, will you do it?"

"EW! NO!" Naruto yelled, shivering at the thought. "Why would I want to do that?"

Sasuke smirked slightly at this, but his face went blank when his master turned towards him. "And you. First, you attacked the princess. And, now this?"

"Hn, most of the damage has been caused by dobe and some other people." He would keep their identity a secret as of now. "In fact, I was trying to control the damage. And, I wouldn't say I attacked the princess. Just asked few questions which she refused to answer when asked politely."

Makarov stared hard at Sasuke who didn't budge. He then sighed, massaging his temples in exasperation. "Who am I to scold when I couldn't even control Natsu?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at this. Anything concerning Naruto and Sakura's doppelganger wasn't going to end well. "What did he do this time?"

Makarov sighed once more as he got to the last Uchiha, "He went and picked a fight with Sabertooth's master. I just don't know what to do with that kid." He then turned to Naruto. "Considering that Sasuke here has only praise for you, I would like you to join our guild temporarily like your friend here. Though, you may have to wait a couple of days to enroll into the main team. There is a lot of regulation shit that needs to be taken care of."

"Got ya, jiji!" Naruto grinned as Makarov could only smile. Looking between Naruto and Sasuke as they made their way towards the exit, he wondered if Gray and Natsu would end up like them after maturing up.

"Sasuke, where can we find a Ramen stand here?"

"I don't know."

Naruto brought his hands down. He frowned, "You have been here a couple of days, haven't you? And, you don't even know where a single Ramen shop is?"

Sasuke stared at his friend as he exited the bar, Naruto following after him. "I wasn't exactly running around the city looking for a shop." Well, there was this Strawberry cake, but he wasn't going to tell Naruto about it. In fact, never.

"Where did you say Erza-chan went again?" Naruto asked. Anyone was a better company to a ramen stand than the bastard.

"I think she went back to meet with her friend, since I cut short their conversation earlier."

Naruto groaned. "Just great. Now, who is going to show me around?"

Sasuke stopped when he spotted his fellow team mate. "Well, there is one person who would be very interested. The only problem would be, she doesn't feel shy about showing her assets to the world."

"Lead the way to her, then."

..

..

* * *

Erza stood outside their inn, as she leaned against a ledge. The waves crashed against the rocks, as the wind gently blew swaying her hair a bit. A frown marred her face as she recollected her talk with Millianna.

It ached her heart to no end when she heard of the real reason on why Millianna joined Marmaid Heel. Her nakama aiming to take revenge for her fallen comrade, Simon was commendable but against Jellal… she didn't know what to think.

Millianna had assumed that even Erza held the same rage going in her, to avenge their friend. But, the truth couldn't be closer than it could be. She was in love with him until recently, and she may still harbor some feelings for him. Feeling anger on such a person was difficult no matter what crimes they did.

A long distant gaze filled her eyes, as she stared at the buildings underneath.

"What's wrong, Erza-chan?"

She nearly jumped in surprise, but since she was so lost in her thought, she didn't react. She turned towards the approaching blonde, giving him a small smile in return. "How was Ramen?"

"Ramen?!" Naruto blinked incredulously, his cheeks flushed a bit. "That girl Cana took me to a Bar after the Ramen stand. I never thought that I would really break one of the three prohibitions."

"I think you are old enough, Naruto." Erza smiled a bit as she went back to viewing the buildings.

Naruto walked and leaned against the railing too. "It's not about age. It's just something my mother told me about."

"Your mom?" As far as Erza knew, Naruto was an orphan. He did not meet his parents. Rather, he couldn't when they were dead.

As if reading her mind, Naruto folded his arms, "I know what you are thinking. It was just possible to meet her because of my dad."

"If I remember correctly, your father was the fourth Hokage, right?" She learnt all about that from the Rookie nine.

His own distant look filled in his eyes, "You know about kurama, don't you?" He continued when she nodded, "He and I weren't exactly friends from the start. My father sealed him inside me when I was born. My mom and he got sacrificed in the process."

"I am sorry." She knew about that from Sakura and Hinata. But, actually hearing from Naruto was kind of sad. She knew all too well about losing someone. Rob Jiji had sacrificed himself for her after all.

"Nah, it was a long time ago." Naruto grinned, but it only ached Erza more. "He made the seal in such a way… well, that I could meet my mother when I was older. Which I got to."

"Oh, that's good to hear." Probably another thing possible from chakra.

"I even got to meet my dad in the war. I couldn't have asked for more." Naruto continued to grin. He caught few strands of her hair in his fingers surprising her a bit. "My mom had the same hair, as bright as yours. In fact, she was called the red hot blooded Habanero."

Erza recognized the nickname. Few of the shinobi back in Konoha had dubbed her that when she interrogated them. "Ah, I see."

"So, what's got you?" He asked retracting his hands.

Erza shrugged. It seemed only fair to share now that he practically shared his past, something which she cannot do as freely as him. "I never thought a day would come like this."

"What, you talking to me about personal stuff?"

"No." Erza shook her head. "Regarding my friends Jellal and Millianna. I still don't know what he is thinking."

"Who? Jellal?"

"Yeah," she sank deeper into her arms. "He was influenced since he was young and forced to do many horrible things. My friend Millianna hates him for that."

Naruto remembered Pain being manipulated by Obito, Obito by Madara, Madara by Zetsu and Sasuke by… well almost everyone. "I kind of understand what you are saying."

"It's not the whole truth. He…" Erza swallowed the lump in her throat. This was a lot harder for her to say than she thought. "He had killed one of our friends when he was being manipulated."

Naruto only stared at her. "Is he still being manipulated?"

"No. He is not." Erza shook quickly. "He has been on a journey of redemption for the past six years."

Naruto smiled, "I don't see the problem then."

"Well, except that it isn't." Erza turned to Naruto. "Millianna is looking to avenge our fallen friend. She… she intends to kill him. She, along with Kagura wants revenge on him."

Naruto chuckled, confusing Erza. "Sorry." He apologized when she narrowed her eyes. He did not mean to offend her. That word just reminded him of Sasuke. "This Jellal guy… it looks like he and Sasuke are a lot similar."

"Similar?"

"Both are atoning for their sins." Naruto's gaze fell down. "To be honest, Sasuke was manipulated his whole life, until recently."

"He was being manipulated?" This was new. Sasuke was being manipulated his whole life. He never looked like the type to be manipulated. He was like… the all-knowing, wise, silent guy. He looked like the one to manipulate, not the other way around.

"I probably shouldn't say much…" He shouldn't. But, after peaking her curiosity, it would be bad if she asked Sasuke about it. "All I would say is that I understand his reasons for going down the path he went." After all, Sasuke's clan was prosecuted, his older brother used and his clan killed in the process. The Shinobi world had been cruel.

"Sasuke, huh?" She spoke gently, sinking into her arms again. He knew all about her past, but she still knew nothing about his if her talk with Naruto was anything to go by.

"All I can say is as long as you don't give up, your friends will end up okay." Naruto gave her a thumbs up, filling in the words of encouragement.

"I hope that you are right."

"Come on, you got to participate tomorrow and I am excited to see these games and you in action." Naruto said, walking back towards the bar. Erza smiled staring at the retreating end of the blonde, before following him.

..

..

* * *

Sasuke frowned a bit as he finished reading half of a scroll. This scroll contained Erza's physiology, which Kakashi handed to him before he followed after her to Fiore. So far, everything seemed normal until the physiology of her eyes caught his attention.

A fake right eye, huh? Must be during the time she stood up for her friends in the tower. The chair beside him was moved and a figure huffed and sat down. Sasuke only nodded greeting the ice wizard.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked closing the scroll. "You look exhausted."

Gray crossed his arms, "Until now, I was in the middle of some tug-of-war between Lyon and Juvia, and I have no idea what it was about."

Sasuke smiled at his fellow guild mate, "I wasn't even there, but I think I know what exactly went down." The water girl's stalking abilities were so scary that Sasuke was so thankful that she was stalking Gray. Nobody in Konoha, even Karin seemed to pale in comparison to her. But, even Sakura was the same and in the end, she deserved a straight answer. "You must know how she feels, right?"

Gray's cheeks were a bit flushed, as he propped his chin against his palm and looked away. "I know."

"She deserves a straight answer, Gray." If she was really serious about Gray like Sakura that was the least he could do. "Why not give her a clear-cut response?"

Gray was adamant about it as he refused to meet Sasuke's gaze. Juvia… he hadn't thought of anything before. But, maybe Sasuke was right. "I guess I have to listen to your advice. An advice from a senior helps after all."

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow as he set down the sake, "Senior?"

"Yeah… you know, you and Erza," Gray watched in amusement as he managed to get a reaction from the stoic Uchiha. "There is a rumor around the guild that you guys are a couple."

"Well, things are a bit complicated," Honestly, it was. He still couldn't get a read of what Erza wants. One time, she says that they will have to wait, and there was this incident today. "I'd say we aren't a couple." Yet. "So, you have to do something regarding her. Got it, right?"

"Who? Juvia?" Gray asked. He sighed when Sasuke nodded. "Uh, ok. I will." The door to the bar opened just then, and he observed Sasuke's friend Naruto and Erza walk in. Naruto was a cheery, cool guy, but it was a bit sad that he had to take after the Flame Brain.

"And, one other thing, Gray." Gray turned back towards the Uchiha who stared at him with a stern expression. "Do not mention about this conversation to anyone." Especially the dobe. He released some of his killer intent to get the point across as the Ice Wizard was startled.

..

..

* * *

Back in the inn where Fairy Tail team A rested, their team had assembled along with Naruto. Everyone were in their night clothes along with Naruto.

"I am Natsu Dragneel, and this is Happy." Natsu offered his hand to Naruto who shook it. "Sorry, I was busy and wasn't around when you arrived."

Naruto looked to side scratching his cheek. Well, even he got carried away. "I was kind of disappointed to be placed as a reserve member for Team A, but I think it's for the best." He could study about magic in the meantime. "I can only hope I can do justice to the muscle guy."

"You mean Elfmann-san." Wendy nodded as she smiled. "I don't think strength will be of any issue to you, Naruto-san."

"Yeah, I know." Talk about confidence, Lucy thought. She then turned towards Natsu. The real problem at hand, "Why did you have to fight Sabertooth?!"

Natsu sat on his bed, "Yeah, I actually wanted to mix it up more…" He raised his fist. "Too bad it ended right as I was getting fired up."

"I am sorry, Natsu." Happy cried anime tears. "It's my fault for getting caught." If he wouldn't, then he was sure Natsu would have stormed the place.

"What are you talking about?!" Charla, the white exceed said. "We were lucky it ended the way it did."

"That's right." Wendy joined in. "If one of their team members were injured, we might've been disqualified."

"What if you already injured them?" Naruto asked.

"Well, for one, we would have to apologize and…" Lucy stopped when she saw Naruto smiling sheepishly. "You didn't." She growled.

"Well, I may have or may not have injured or hurt a Sabertooth guild member, whose name may or may not have been Sting." Naruto rubbed the back of his head, chuckling nervously before bowing his head down. "I am sorry."

"Naruto wasn't an official member at the time." Erza voiced her thoughts on the matter. "Plus the area was kind of illegal, so even if Sting wanted to complain to the authorities, he would have to explain his actions first. And, he doesn't know Naruto's real identity." So there wasn't any problem as of now. The only problem at hand was Natsu.

Everyone stared at him. Gray shot his finger at him, "You are incredibly stupid! Use your head a little!"

"Exactly!" Lucy placed her hands on her hips. Only Erza and Gray could force some common sense into Natsu's head. And, Gray really looked mad at Natsu. Perhaps, he was just as upset as she was. "Pour into it, Gray! Read into the riot act!"

Gray grabbed Natsu's collar as if on cue. "If you were gonna take the fight to them, you should have invited me!" And not leave him alone with Juvia and Lyon. God, that was a torturous two hours. "It's not fair that you get all the fun!"

"You are missing the point!" Lucy scolded Gray. That was why he got angry?! These both were idiots.

Erza walked in between them. "Just because you lost a fight doesn't mean you should get payback outside the Arena."

"That's not what it was about." Gray closed his eyes. "I just wanted to send a message to that Rufus bastard. That was all."

The images of Yukino crying popped into Natsu's head again. He lit his fist on fire, "Dammit! I am still angry at them." He seethed. "I think I'll go back and fight some more." He said walking towards the door.

"Count me in." Naruto joined him. Well, he was bored anyway and if the enemies were from Sting's guild, he was sure that they would entertain him.

"I am coming too!" Gray ran after them only for them to be blocked by Lucy and Wendy.

"Can't you just settle it in the tournament?" Wendy pleaded, to which Naruto immediately conceded.

He patted her head, "Who could deny such a request. We won't be going anywhere."

"Traitor."

"Back-stabber."

"Hey, I's not like you can deny such a good girl," Naruto protested against Gray and Natsu only for them to throw a pillow at him. He dodged it by bending down, but realized that he should have taken the hit. He realized it too late, as it had already hit Erza on the back of her head.

There were few things Naruto learned in his life. Bonds were important to a person. The three prohibitions of a shinobi, and never mess with women, especially ones like Sakura or Erza. Their echoes filled the area as Erza took a mere pillow fight to a whole new bloody level. Well, day 3 starts tomorrow and it was the day where miracles were going to take place. Swords dance in the Pandemonium whereas Lightning dances in the clouds.

* * *

 **Next chapter: Erza Vs 100 monsters.**

 **Regarding the siblings and their personalities, well... the kid takes after Obito in a way and the girl takes after Mikasa.**

 **I'll explain in the next chapter as to how Naruto appeared and why.  
**

 **Has Sasuke used his powerful jutsus?** He hadn't had the chance, but I can assure that it isn't far away. Next chapter, something may happen though.

 **Anyway, Until then, later!**


	19. Chapter 19: Day 3

**Here's another chapter.**

 **It took some time to get it done. It is a good thing that an author as good as Silverkitsune2017 decided to do a SasukexErza pair with the help of Celestia193. She is an extremely good writer, but doesn't do a lot of crossovers but her fics in good are general. It provides readers with more options regarding their favorite cross-over pairings.**

 **As always, thanks to taran taran, nsymina, dimas_vaw, StopTeasing, The legendary dark knight Tony, Commander Blunt, xNightShroudx, LyHy, hateme101, ronlol2, Mobydicks, iskandarrobby47, Jutten, GB108 and guest(x2) for your reviews.**

 **Changed the cover pic. Drew it myself. What do you think?**

 **Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto or FT. Belong to their respective owners. Crude version. Not beta-read, so I apologize for any mistakes in advance.**

 **Continuing on;**

* * *

 **...**

 **Chapter 19: Day 3**

"I invoke my right to challenge 100 monsters!"

The looks of surprise on everyone's face was satisfying in a way for Sasuke. Ever since the rules for Pandemonium was explained, Erza didn't seem to care about the number cause he could tell she was already dead set - to challenge all the monsters even though she knew that the competition was set so that none of them could take on the 100 monsters.

He watched her Scarlet hair shine even brighter in the sunshine, as she strode forward with her hair swaying behind her back. That absolute look of shock on that pathetic pumpkin face made up for his lack of thrill as he actually wished the same but was unlucky on the draw, giving him the number eight- Erza being the one.

Earlier, he actually wanted Cana to take part in this. But, she was probably somewhere, flirting around with Naruto. So, as soon as he watched Erza walk onto the field, Gajeel and the others bowed out because they probably knew about the last Uchiha and her. Honestly, Gajeel could never understand what Sasuke saw in that crazy chick, but was not interested enough to know and definitely not interested in facing her wrath.

Watching it merely as a sideshow was more amusing and less harmful, as he observed Mira doing the same thing for quite some time now. Maybe Sasuke and Erza weren't even aware of it themselves, but there was a betting pool going behind the scenes about how long it would take for them to be a couple.

Inside the arena, some contenders looked to protest, while the face of Orga suggested otherwise. He probably thought she took up a fool's challenge and that she would soon regret her decision for being so arrogant. Sasuke knew better. It wasn't arrogance but recklessness, apparently the common trait among the Fairy Tail wizards.

The battle began, as Ahh's and Ooh's of crowds echoed the arena the moment she requipped into her knight armor. The same armor that he had apparently mistaken for a cosplay, when she faced the mist shinobi. He watched her take out most of the D-class monsters while few of the higher class remained.

It wasn't a blow to take out all of her opponents at once, but to check for their abilities and analyze their weakness. Analyzing any opponent was a given, unless you happened to be cunning and have a demon sealed in you. A clever attack to start up front.

He had been comparing her and Naruto for a while now, looking for similarities in between them. But, in this regard she was more analytical and tactical in approach, just like him unlike the dobe. Calm and analytical judgement skills. And, skills to back that up.

She then shifted into her black wing armor. Sasuke again failed to see how that thing was an armor. Few perverse shouts went out as he thought it revealed too much, not that he would mind if it were done in private. But, there were men watching this, as he clenched his fist a bit.

The resentment and jealousy vanished when she shifted into her another armor, fire empress armor with a water sword. He blinked. She was adapting, he could tell as the commentator was screaming her name like a rabid dog now. The crowd was enchanted with the show she was putting on, as she danced through that hideous castle.

His lips thinned a bit as she requipped into a cheetah like armor next, granting her speed. Similar to black wing armor, but instead of just speed, it also enhanced her agility. But too much revealing and suddenly he realized that he was being just as possessive as she was yesterday.

He shook his head slightly at the thought, before their guild shouted her name again. He quickly looked onto to the screen to see that she had already defeated about fifty monsters. The crowd went up but he noticed the exhausted look on her face, her hands gripping the hilt tightly.

Exhausted and many injuries but there was that look- the look of determination on her face. She roared as she charged forward again, showing the world her vast treasury of armors. She looked like she had an armor for almost anything as she continued, and Sasuke had nothing but respect for her judgment skills.

With many choices present before her, it takes keen observation and judgement skills to decide the right set of combination in her armor set. With as many as 100 armors and almost 100 weapons, there were a lot of combinations to choose from. She took care of almost all the monsters with this.

She stared hard at the last remaining foes. Discarding her armor, she went into her most effective offensive armor. Light cloth pants, bandages strapped to her chest and a single katana in her hand. She leaped towards the monsters standing between her and the S-class one.

He smirked as Erza faced her last foe in this round, a tiny little monster that was apparently S-class. But, looks could be deceiving as he remembered his brother's words when most of them cooed at the cuteness and harmlessness of the monster.

True to his guess, the monster slowly transformed into a giant that almost dwarfed the previous A-class monster, twice their height. Erza looked to be struggling though she was in her most offensive mode, as Sasuke deduced noticing that she wasn't donning any armor but only a cloth wrapped tightly against her bare chest. She stood tall as she summoned two swords in her hands.

..

..

* * *

Battling her way through, she had reached the roof top of the castle. Erza screamed in pain, as the giant was nearly crushing her beneath its foot. It, then moved its feet and kicked Erza sending her flying a couple of feet away. A truly fitting name for a pandemonium.

But… that monster still wasn't any match for Erza. She would win and take the ten points home for her guild. She dodged a heavy punch aimed at her. Taking advantage of its size, she ran across its arm before she leaped in air and made many multiple strikes.

The monster lifted its other arm to push her back but it was dealt the same way too. Landing a couple feet away, Erza had a smirk across her face as she watched the arms being torn to pieces due to her earlier strikes.

Taking this opportunity, she sneaked behind the giant to deliver the final blow. The monster barely avoided it, but it was still a fatal wound. It groaned and kicked Erza hard sending her crashing down the wall.

Even while she was badly wounded, a fairy that should have fallen to the ground, she soared. She persevered. She fought in a way of befitting her title 'Titania'. She relentlessly attacked, even as one of her sword broke. Gripping her last sword, she dealt in many strikes finally cutting through its head.

She landed a couple of feet away as the giant turned into dust particles. She let out a sigh of relief as she heard the announcer screaming her name and the crowd going wild after her display. Stilling herself, she raised her sword above her head in victory, but the sword raised mostly for her guildmates, announcing that she had heard them loud and clear. Dedicated to them.

The castle started disappearing into the same huge magic circle that brought it, as Erza was teleported to the entry. She stood at the entrance and walked leaning against a sword.

"Erza!"

She turned her head to see her teammates running rather wildly towards her. Maybe they were upset at how much time it took for her. "Sorry guys, I hope you'll forgive me. It took a lot longer than I expec-"

"You were great!" Gray yelled.

"Fight me later!" Natsu cheered in his own way.

"I was moved…" Lucy joined in.

"I got a lump in my throat," Wendy cried tears of relief.

Erza blinked. That was definitely not the reaction she was expecting. "Oi, oi… it's not like we won the tournament yet."

Her teammates only laughed in response as the Mato, the pumpkin head sweated. "Just took a little longer than expected?" He repeated her words, not believing his ears.

"Erza! Erza! Erza! Erza! Erza!"

She looked around the arena, looking at the crowd that was cheering her name and her guild's name. From booing to cheering. From dead last to crowds favorite. She smiled as she looked towards her guild's gallery. They were all jumping in excitement, many of them were even crying. She showed her fist, pointing in their direction at the job done.

Then, her focus shifted to the person stepping beside her. Sasuke spoke no words, but gave her a smile. That said it all. She returned that smile, before she slightly winced.

"You pushed yourself too far, huh?"

"It's nothing." She said, but her body was screaming at her now that the adrenaline rush was gone. She took a step forward but pain soared through her ankle. But, she had to hide her pain for her guild mates. The last thing she wanted was showing signs of weakness after putting on such an inspiring act.

As if answering her call, her left arm was taken and rested around Sasuke's neck. She looked to her side to see him supporting her by her waist. She frowned, still trying to hide her fatigue. "I can get to infirmary myself."

"I am sure you can. I just want to help."

"You still have to compete." Erza said. "Wouldn't want you to forfeit on my account."

"My turn won't come up until the last." Sasuke shrugged as he moved forward. "Besides, I don't think it will be that fun now anyway since you took care of all the monsters."

"I am sorry."

Sasuke blinked. "Why are you apologizing? I was only joking. The least I can do now is finish second."

"Ano," They looked behind to see that the remaining contenders were staring at them. Mato moved forward. "The competition is still not over."

"I know." Sasuke turned around. "I will be back in a minute."

..

..

Sasuke could see the frown on most of the waiting contenders. Well, to be honest he had only gone a couple of minutes escorting Erza to the old Sakura. It wasn't like he made them wait for hours.

Clearly they haven't and never waited for Kakashi. If only they knew….

Mato coughed, sensing some heaviness in the atmosphere. "Now that you are all here, I'll explain what is going to happen now." He eyed Sasuke in particular. "After some deliberation, it has been decided to have another contest to rank the seven remaining teams." A dome shaped black device landed before him with a blue crystal on the top. "This will be a bit boring compared to the pandemonium, but I think it should be enough."

"What is that?" Sasuke asked, referring to the strange device.

"It is the magic finder. Or, MPF for short." The pumpkin head looked proud. "Pretty tansy, huh?"

Jura folded his arms, "In other words, it measures a wizard's magic power."

"Right O!" Mato got down to explaining its functions. "If you cast your magic power on this, it displays your magic power. We'll use this device to rank the remaining teams."

Sasuke frowned at this tid bit of information. As far as he was concerned, he wasn't sure if the MPF would exactly calculate his chakra. Or, would it recognize his jutsu as a spell. Meaning, he needed to think of something fast that utilizes the ethernanos, or nature before his turn comes up.

"That means I get to go first!" Millianna removed her cloak to reveal a… Sasuke wasn't sure. How was that allowed out here in public? Shouldn't it be restricted to a bedroom? "Here goes. Kitten Blast!" A glowing fluzzy tube came out a magic circle and hit the crystal.

"Kitten Blast?" Sasuke titled his head. They needed to come up with better names if… Woah! Okay. Three hundred and sixty five. How much was that? Was it good? Bad? Average?

Apparently the crowd was wondering the same thing. The special guest for today spoke to relieve the crowd's confusion. He had some experience regarding the device since it was always used in Rune training. "I can help. She did very well. Her score would qualify her for squad captain."

Novali from Quatro _Puppy_ was next. Yeah. He had missed the ridiculous bets that happened on the other day. Quadro Cerberus to Quadro Puppy. Suits them as this Novali scored only one hundred and forty four.

It was followed by Hibiki from Blue Pegasus. He could hear girls screaming and cheering for him. It made sense for Sasuke. He could see why Hibiki worked in the same photoshoot as Mirajane. But, it was a bad thing that his scores couldn't reflect his looks. A measly ninety five.

Next was a guy from Raven Tail. Sasuke activated his sharingan to see what the big guy was going to pull seeing as the Raven Tail had warranted his suspicions. But… apparently it was just throwing some tiny creature at it earned him only four points. That definitely wasn't suspicious at all!

Orga, of Sabertooth made his way to the front admist the cheer and hopping of Millianna. The crowd went berserk for him as he shot his palm towards the crystal. "One-twenty millimeter lightning canon!" Black sparks erupted from his hands, before it headed to destroy the poor MPF. A gust of wind was produced as Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the score. Three thousand eight hundred and twenty five.

Black lighting… definitely a first for Sasuke. Maybe, that guy was also a god slayer if his encounter the other day was any indication. His decision to participate in the games looked like it was paying off. Maybe he could pose as a flame god slayer in future using his Amaterasu and flame control.

As Sasuke was lost in the endless possibilities, Jura the wizard saint stepped up beside the pumpkin head. "Do you mind if I give it my all?"

"That's the game, isn't it?"

Sasuke blinked as he could feel the magic in the air concentrating around Jura, as he continued to meditate. Land beneath him started to shake as few particles flew in air here and there. "Rumbling Fuji!" The result was as much devastating too. The whole Arena shook as a huge pillar of light descended onto it.

As Sasuke looked at the MPF after the light died down, he was surprised a bit. Eight thousand five hundred and forty four. He could only wonder what those _two_ monsters would do to this poor device if they were to participate.

Probably the whole Arena would have been destroyed if they did not hold back. And, he has to do the same. Wouldn't want people dying on him now.

"My juts-… spell requires some time." Sasuke coughed, correcting himself. He was already forming a few hand signs. Mato didn't seem to care about that.

"Take all the time you want." He spoke, before sending few looks of pity. "But, it sure is a tough task to follow that up."

Sasuke had already decided what he wanted to perform. A jutsu that uses nature's energy just to be on the safe side. His sharingan flared as the crowd went still waiting in anticipation for the Uchiha.

If it were anyone other than Sasuke, the second place would have been undoubtedly given to Jura. But, the Uchiha clan was supposedly strong and Sasuke hadn't disappointed them in the first day. He would have to probably thank Jura later for the dark clouds above their heads.

"Katon: Gouryuuka no jutsu!"(Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon!)

The crowd went in ah as fire dragons illuminated the sky. They were momentarily distracted from the fireworks that they didn't bother to speculate on why he had shot it towards the sky. Few people thought that he had missed it, while very few who knew Sasuke waited to see what he was playing at.

Erza who had returned to her team's gallery looked up when multiple flashes went off followed by thunders. The skies giving off as many lightning was probably a terrifying sight for most except Laxus and Ogra who feast on them. Her eyes widened when she saw many sparks erupt from the Arena and outside the Arena too.

These sparks went and collected in air, joining the already rampaging thunders. The sight had too much intensity that many of the audience had to close their eyes and ears.

"Man… Sasuke knows lightning too?" Gray asked slightly shaken by the sight.

Natsu closed his ears. "I thought fire was his only technique."

"I wonder what his earlier fire technique was then."

"It was to heat up the air above us." Erza watched with her arms crossed, her gaze not moving from the clouds. "It was to create a powerful rising air current."

"Air current?" Natsu titled his head.

"She means thunder clouds, flame brain."

"What is he going to do with that?" Natsu asked.

"To use it for his… spell." Even Gray wasn't sure. He only confirmed it when he saw a similar lightning on Sasuke's right hand. "He did specify that it was going to take some time."

The contenders wisely moved away from MPF, going near Sasuke. He looked around the confused looks of the participants and decided to enlighten them about the technique he had devised to kill his brother. "With this spell, lightning will strike down from heaven. The name of this juts-… spell is kirin."

The blue sparkles vanished from his hand into the clouds. His chakra filled lightning, bent the surrounding ethernanos to his will along with the thunder clouds. Lightning dances as it morphed into a dragon and a huge roar following it.

Orga did not move much, but it was a surprise to him. A non-slayer magician was able to tame the lightning to this level, difficult for even slayers to perfect… Just who was this guy? Laxus had similar thoughts going in his head. His eyes only widened further as a fully formed dragon emerged from the thunder clouds.

Its roar boomed through the Arena as people trembled at the sight. Dragons were supposed to be extinct, even if it were one made of pure lightning. Natsu, and most of the dragon slayers present there straightened at the sight. Was that a real dragon? They still weren't sure, but the magic in them tinkled them to be on guard.

With a lazy move of Sasuke's wrist, the dragon went back into the clouds. Only to reappear later near the MPF. Light travels a lot faster than sound, as before anyone knew what happened, a huge pillar of light hit the MPF, even dwarfing Jura's spell.

Thunderous sound followed afterwards, much to the displeasure of the audience. The whole arena was now scattered, broken and crumbled as the dust settled. The MPF had hit the grave as only four figures remained in its place. Nine nine nine and… nine.

People also noticed another strange thing when the spell was finished. All the people who were near Sasuke were engulfed in a strange purple ethereal skeleton. It was only a glimpse as it disappeared the moment the attack was ended.

The announcer was the first one to retrieve from the shock, as he yelled the scores in excitement and announced their standings to the crowd. Sasuke looked around at the damage done… maybe, he should have taken a gamble and hit that thing with a chidori.

He left silently before the authorities could ask compensation of him. He did not have that kind of money and his guild surely as hell didn't. He sighed.

Only if they had collected Naruto's illegal earnings from the other night. He closed his eyes and walked back towards his team gallery admist the cheers, not bothering to address them as Erza did, and definitely not bothering with the screams from his newly found, but already one of the biggest fanclubs.

..

Kawaguchi eyed the Last Uchiha from Konoha as Sasuke walked back to his team's gallery. He sighed, turning his attention to his siblings beside him. "We should go. We have witnessed enough."

His sister and brother only gaped at the clearing. His little brother swallowed a hard lump, "T-This is w-what he looks like-"

"When he isn't holding back." His sister finished for him, her gaze following the Uchiha who had now exited the field. Then, those two followed their brother, exiting the stands as few of the rune knights entered right then. The security had been increased thanks to the previous night. They were constantly on the run now.

..

..

* * *

Round 2 of day 3;

The first two match ups were pretty much one-sided. The first one was won by Millianna, from Marmaid Heel against Seemes, from Quatro Puppy.

The second match up was between Rufus of Sabertooth and Eve of Blue Pegasus. The match was always going to Sabertooth with Rufus using an ancient magic and lost magic, memory make. Against his variety, Ren could do only so much with his Ice magic.

With only two matches left for the day, Sasuke wondered if Fairy Tail A and B would battle each other. That would certainly be a nice twist of turn, though one of the team would be guaranteed a sure defeat. In the hindsight, it would be a safe bet as one team would be guaranteed a victory.

His speculations were put to a rest when the next match up was flashed on the big screen. Laxus from his team vs Alexie of Raven Tail.

"About damn time." Laxus pushed himself of the wall and proceeded to step into the arena.

"Good luck." Mira smiled.

Gajeel's face went grim. "Watch out, that guy has an odd vibe to him."

"Got it." With that Laxus headed to the center.

Sasuke had never seen Laxus in action before except the elimination round and he was sure that the third's grandson had much to offer. He was probably the second strongest in the guild after Gildarts if we were to exclude Makarov. Stronger than Erza and Mira. That counts as something.

The battle begins in a rather even way. Laxus and Alexie were head to head. Sasuke found something strange about that as if the battle was already planned. About how easily Laxus was beaten and beaten around.

"Yo, Sasuke."

"Took you long enough." He greeted the blonde without turning around. Naruto placed his hands on the back of his head as they watched the match. "Any clues as to their whereabouts?"

"Couldn't find them." Naruto shrugged. "There is something in the air that is making it difficult to track them in sage mode. I will require some more time to adjust."

"Must be ethernanos." Sasuke mumbled. He had to send Naruto on his behalf to search for the siblings. He would have searched for himself like he strolled off the first day, but few technicalities occurred.

A fan club was waiting for him when he tried to leave after the first round of today. He had slipped past his team as usual, and proceeded to investigate. He was shocked the first time he found them waiting for him. But, it seems like someone had sold his whereabouts, or there were some really dangerous stalkers out there.

To say that it hindered with his 'sniffing' was an understatement. He turns left, and there they were. Turned right, again there were present there. He slips to streets, and they are present there too. He had to briefly wonder if he had walked into a zombie world. He had to partly blame himself too after the spectacle he put on.

"Naruto-san, was it?" Mira smiled. "How exactly did you arrive here? Was there another anima leading to your world?" If there was, it should probably be brought to their master's attention.

"He entered through a gate way that I created." Sasuke answered for Naruto. "Near the ruins where Natsu found the scroll."

"Is anyone else going to be coming too?"

Sasuke shook his head. "None that I know. Naruto arrived here because I requested a back-up." It was days ago he sent the letter to Kakashi, but he never expected Naruto to show up. He had been expecting someone like Sai.

"Woah…" Naruto caught the sight of the battle. "What is going on, Sasuke? I sense six different energy signatures, but there are only two of them visible."

"What?" Gajeel unfolded his arms. Even Mira turned towards him.

"It's just as you heard… is that iron piercings?" Naruto blinked. This guy looked like the mixed version of Madara and Pain with his long hair and iron piercings. Not that he was complaining. He had seen many weirder things.

Sasuke ignored a spat that just spewed between Naruto and Gajeel, but instead focused his gaze onto Laxus's movements. Something was really off. He activated his doujutsu to only observe an illusion of some kind cast on the field.

Inside that field, Laxus just stood there with five others standing in front of him. They weren't even fighting. Just talking.

Oh, seems like their negotiations got broken down. Sasuke got to know one thing regarding his team's dragon slayer. Laxus was a beast compared to his guildmates. Most of his blows were knockout shots. He was surprised a bit though when even Laxus's father, Ivan did not last longer against his son.

That last thunder punch from Laxus disrupted the illusion. The crowd gasped when they found that the entire Raven Tail guild fought in a single match. And, defeated.

["Wh-what happened down there?!"] The announcer gaped. He couldn't believe his eyes. ["Apparently the fight has been nothing but an illusion. But, Laxus held his own and defeated the entire Raven Tail guild by himself. I think its safe to say Laxus is the victor."]

Mira and Juvia jumped in excitement as Sasuke smirked. Naruto and Gajeel were too busy to notice. Team B was given its ten points, whereas Raven Tail got disqualified for breaking the rules. A ban was also placed on it preventing it from participating in the games for three years.

The crowd also seemed to cheer and whisper about Fairy Tail. Erza, Sasuke and Laxus stood out for today, which should be more than enough to get their popularity back.

The next match did bore Sasuke a bit if he was honest. He wanted to see Wendy's abilities, but the opposite girl, Chelia caught his attention. Wind God Slayer. That made it what? Three God slayers he encountered in two days.

Maybe they aren't so uncommon. The match was interesting at first, but it now boiled down to endurance test between two magicians who are using the same element. Naruto was a different case. He was cheering Wendy like there was no tomorrow, and Sasuke briefly wondered if Naruto was a pedophile.

If he was, then Sasuke would probably have to summon his would be, Hinata though Sasuke was sure that they haven't spoken a lot till now. Maybe a few sentences. Okay... a few words.

The bell rang and the two were still standing. A draw, huh? Sasuke mused. This was the first match to have dragged on for the full ten minutes. Maybe, the elders need to take lessons from these kids on how to fight. Compared to theirs, this was a lot interesting and an even fight.

His guild mates leave the gallery as the last match was called off. Sasuke stayed a bit, wondering what Ivan referred to as the dark secret of Fairy Tail. Konoha was rotten to the core, whereas Fairy Tail was all white and looked all innocent. But, was this possible for a guild like this? No, it can't be. Rather, it shouldn't.

Well, for now all he could do was head back to their bar and 'enjoy' their success today. He'll confront his master on that later.

..

..

* * *

"Barrel Surfing!" Natsu slept on a board that was on top of a few barrels. Happy joined him as he 'barrel surfed' in the bar before he crashed against a wall. He narrowly missed crashing Wendy and Levy, causing Gajeel to lift him by his scarf.

A tick mark appeared on his forehead, "What are you doing, salamander?!"

Natsu chose that moment to be reminded of his motion sickness. He covered his mouth as his face went blue, "Wanna do it too?!"

"You're doing it to the point of getting motion sickness!"

"Alright, I'll do it!" Gray took the chance that Natsu so graciously offered. He climbed onto a board and continued the act of 'Barrel Surfing.' He grinned, riding past a squealing Juvia, before he too crashed against a wall, his clothes coming off naturally.

"What the hell is the matter with your clothes?!"

"Yosh, it's my turn now!" Naruto pumped his fist, getting into the act of it. He maneuvered himself carefully, riding it a lot better than Gray and even Natsu, the inventor of this sport. His joy was only short lived as he too crashed against a wall with the alcohol finally kicking itself in.

He lifted his head and smiled sheepishly as Erza stood near him with her arms crossed. Her stern expression was lifted as Naruto saw a mischievous glint in the corner of her eyes.

"In that case..." She quickly got onto a bill board. "I'll do it, too. Watch and learn."

"Yeesh! Like I said, it's dangerous!"

"Somebody, stop them!"

Jet and Droy's pleas fell onto deaf ears as she too crashed against a wall. Maybe, that was the sport. To see who can surf longer before crashing into anything or anyone. Everyone smiled and laughed at the sight, not certainly at the part where Erza lost her skirt. They all were in a jovial mood as who wouldn't be. It was a complete victory for that day after all.

Sasuke heard the door being creaked and he quickly closed the scroll he was inspecting. He was currently standing outside the bar, leaning against a ledge and inspecting the scroll regarding Erza's physiology. He could briefly hear laughter and screams before the door was shut. He lifted his sake cup and turned towards the approach er.

"What are doing out here in cold?"

A bar jug was slammed hard against the railing he leaned on. Cana burped as she whirled around facing Sasuke, "I should be the one asking you that. Is that..." She squinted as she narrowed her drowsy eyes towards a small bottle beside his arm.

"It's sake." Sasuke told taking a sip. He noticed her flushed cheeks and could only wonder how much booze Cana had. "How much have you- never mind." He didn't want to know. Probably in double digits. That girl was a monster when it came to drinking. He had personally witnessed her conquest when he was her drinking partner during that _time_. The time when he had witnessed... you know the cliff.

"Sake is plain and does not have the required kick in it. It is more like old men's version of booze." Cana drank a complete mug as if proving her point. Sasuke watched her drink the entire tankard in silence.

He then gave a side glance to the saucer near him, "Hn. Everyone has their own preferences."

"Is that why you chose to celebrate today's victory far away from others?" Sasuke turned towards her raising an eyebrow. She continued on observing his expression. "You are missing your own party again. You have already missed the first day's too. Even Naruto is enjoying himself despite joining only yesterday unlike you."

Sasuke got back to his sake. "Naruto is cut from the same cloth as Natsu. I'd be surprised if he didn't. And, regarding me, it doesn't make much of a difference and it doesn't matter where I am after the games." He had been delivering for his guild, right? He could not see what the issue was.

Cana nodded taking in his words, before she spoke softly remembering her younger days in the guild, "Erza was just like you when she joined the guild. She was just as reserved and stayed far away from the festives. But, slowly, but surely she started opening up to us. You are like the older- male version of her younger self. Reserved but a sexy handsome hunk." She winked at him which Sasuke chose to ignore wisely. The last thing he needed was for Erza to think that he was flirting with Cana, even if she wasn't present at the moment.

Sasuke bent his head down a bit and leaned further into the ledge spreading his arms. Erza was a loner too, huh? Well, who wouldn't if they had things happen to them like it did with Erza. It was a miracle that she again started trusting others and opened up. She didn't end up like him. Well, even Naruto didn't. So, maybe he was the odd one out.

"You'll open up too as the time progresses. Eventually." Cana reassured him noticing the supercilious look on his face.

That was the thing. Even he didn't know how long he would stay here, and if it was actually possible to get him to open up. He chose to be a loner by choice and it was his decision too in the past to push others away. "I am not sure about that."

"You'll do, eventually." Cana placed her hand on his shoulder. "Nobody can stay aloof for long in our reckless family. Even the arrogant and bossy Laxus has opened up."

Sasuke blinked as he took a sharp intake of air.

Family. That's what they have been seeing him as whereas he has been just seeing them as Erza's family and nakama. That was right. His breathing slowed down as realization dawned on him. This guild was a collection of sad sobs like him and provided them with a family to lean on. This was a new world and if he couldn't even trust his other team mates in this world, then he couldn't hope for them to trust him. He had missed another key thing which he threw away two years ago. He still needed to segue completely.

He then turned to Cana and gave her a small smile. Damn, even the drinker in Fairy Tail just taught him something. "Looks like the drinker just became the hermit to have started preaching."

"Don't blame me." Cana gave a sly smile. "Many of the preaches and wise things are born when they are said by people who are drunk. It is actually the drunk people who start saying these kinds of things first."

Sasuke just smirked in return. "Yeah, I am sure they are."

"Come on, I am finished." Cana pushed herself off the ledge. "Let us go inside before you catch a cold."

Sasuke stayed back, watching her go inside the bar as he caught a glimpse of Erza holding Ajuka in her arms and a smile on her face. A smile automatically lit up at the sight as he turned back when the door was closed. He surveyed the area beneath him as he finished his sake. Then, he pushed himself of the ledge too, and strode in to enjoy the remainder of the party.

* * *

 **And, cut. That makes it day 3 of the games.**

 **I am wondering... how far can I push the suggestive themes in T rating. I need to know to decide if I need to change the rating of this fic.**

 **Anyway, see you guys in the next chapter.**

 **Until then, later!**


	20. Chapter 20: Dragon King

**Here's another chapter. I'll admit that this chapter took some time. The GMG starts to defer from canon from this chapter.  
**

 **As always, thanks to** **black goku, GV211, hateme101, obito, JesusChrist, xNightShroudx, Zedscep, Last983, Darkzero698, Devil's Darklight, yohanl2001, StopTeasing, LyHy, ronlol2, islamy96, Mobydicks, iskandarrobby47, Jutten, GB108 and guest(x2) for your reviews.**

 **Disclaimer: do not own Naruto or FT. Not beta-read, so I apologize in advance for any mistakes.**

 **Continuing on;**

* * *

 **...**

 **Chapter 20: Dragon king festival**

 _Sasuke looked to the left and right of him at the crowd that had gathered. He raised a brow in confusion and tugged the sleeve of the woman beside him, "Kaa-san, what's going on?"_

 _His mother looked down at the kid Sasuke and gave a small smile, "Your father and I are moving away, Sasuke."_

" _Moving away? Where?" Sasuke looked into his mother's eyes as he stood with a nervous expression. "Can I come too?"_

" _It is far, far away, Sasuke dear. Sadly, you won't be coming with us," His mother's gaze softened when she noticed his slightly teary eyes. "Don't worry. You will be joining us too eventually, but it won't be until for a long time."_

 _As if in response, his father grunted from his other side, "Hn, don't worry. Your brother will be here with you. He will take care of you."_

 _Sasuke's face shifted from a lament look to an elated one at the mention of his brother, "Nii-san!"_

 _His brother_ _ _appeared in front of him as if on cue._ His appearance was that of when he joined Anbu. "Foolish little brother," And then Itachi poked him on the forehead. Itachi looked at his parents for a moment and then grabbed his hand which was firmly curled into his mother's dress._

 _Sasuke blinked in confusion as the clouds moved ever so slightly, the sun long gone as it settled on the horizon, in the line connecting the ocean and the sky. The rays perched from the clouds like fresh buds from a plant, his feet planting deep into the unstable land beneath him. He wiggled his toes slightly as the sand shifted under him._

 _Panic struck across his face as he observed his parents moving forward without him, towards an ancient wooden boat waiting to take them to the other side. He observed many other clan members as well, climbing onto the boat. He watched as Shisui, his brother's best friend helped few elders onto the boat with a smile._

" _Even Aunty and Uncle?" Sasuke asked his brother, who had his own solemn look on his face. His eyes trailed in the direction his brother's eyes went and observed a brown haired girl entering the boat as well._

"… _Izumi."_

 _That name left from his brother's lips as Sasuke saw some sorrow reflect in Itachi's eyes. Soon, all the clan members had gone much to his surprise, leaving only Itachi and him on the shore._

 _Once crowed beach was now barren, as his brother stood with a heavy heart. Sasuke, being a kid, felt bad at first but was quickly comforted by his brother's presence to his side. At least Itachi stayed behind. Nothing could go wrong._

 _The boat stayed behind, as the sky shifted its color from carmine to obsidian. Sasuke found himself growing up as the sky changed its color, as his brother matured to his side as well. Then, much to Sasuke's dread, he found a repeat of what had happened earlier._

 _The stars danced in sky, as the light it generated illuminated the sky to an extent. He could see a sad expression on his brother who walked a step forward and turned to face him. His mind froze when he understood what his brother was about to do._

 _Itachi placed his hand on top of Sasuke's head, looking deep into his eyes. "It seems like it is time for me to join with our parents… but you should stay behind."_

 _Sasuke could only stare, as his throat dried at the moment. No words came out of his mouth as his brother continued, "I know that it is unfair of me to leave you behind all alone… I always lied to you and asked for your forgiveness and couldn't take care of you as I had promised Tou-san." His hand slid down from top to the back of his head. "But, now I believe… perhaps you could have stopped mother, father and the rest of the clan… only if I had only been open with you from the start. So, I want to impart at least this truth to you before I leave… no matter what you decide to do from now, I'll always love you."_

 _His mind still remained in shock as he watched his brother drop his hands and walked towards the mast. He halted, wanting to call Itachi a liar for pulling another trick again, because he knew he was lying… until Itachi spoke those final words. He kept silent, letting him walk ahead, that distance between them yawning wider with every step._

 _By the time his mind processed what was going on, Itachi was already near the mast about to board it. His legs immediately started moving, as he stumbled in the sand. He surged the vast shore, time spinning out under him._

" _Itachi!"_

 _His brother stopped and turned around to see his brother sprinting towards the mast. "I am sorry, Sasuke. But, you should stay behind and carry out the name of the Uchiha clan. You'll probably face some discrimination, but I am sure you'll set the Uchiha into the right path." Itachi spoke, referring to the misled Uchiha Stone Tablet that messed up with their clan for generations._

 _Still running furiously, Sasuke clenched his fists, "So, I am supposed to walk this one path all alone and forget about everything?!"_

" _You are not alone as you think, Sasuke." Itachi said pointing his finger behind him. Sasuke halted for a moment and looked over his shoulder. His eyes widened when he saw Team 7 along with his new comrades from Fairy Tail guild and Team Taka standing at the back. All of them were smiling or grinning at him. By the time he turned back to look at his brother, Itachi had long disappeared, as the early sun rays emerged from a converged point in the horizon. The mast was also long gone too._

 _Sasuke could only chuckle bitterly at how his brother deceived him again, and disappeared yet again with a lie, a distraction. He wiped the wet stream of his cheek, tears that he didn't realize were flowing._

 _His gaze then drifted to the side as light shone slightly at the sight. Three more Uchiha members stood near the beach, where it looked like they were longing for the mast to return and carry them. His brother's final words arched into his heart, as he promised himself to never let something like that happen to his clan again._

 _He was not alone._

 _.._

Sasuke's eyes slowly opened, the cool breeze slightly greasing against his face. He could hear the distinctive birds chirping in the background, along with the grass slightly rustling against the wind.

He blinked again when he realized where he was and what he was doing. _Dream, huh?_

A strange dream, it was. He rarely dreamt now-a-days, thanks to his history and the continuous usage of his clan's prized doujutsu. It felt like… he had relived all his life up to this point in that one dream, with his brother giving him his final mission.

He thought as he gazed at the bandaged left hand that laid on top of his chest. He blinked again. The last thing he remembered was that the grass, no matter how fresh it was, was never this soft.

His gaze shifted from his left hand to the chocolate eyes that greeted him with a warm smile.

"Finally awake, huh sleepy head?"

Sasuke stared for a moment in surprise. He then simply closed his eyes in response and pretended to sleep again.

"Sleeping again?"

"…"

"Sasuke?"

"…"

Erza bit back her frustration. "Okay, not funny anymore. I am not sure my legs can bear the weight any longer."

"I remember relaxing alone in this park," A teasing smirk fell on his lips as he opened his eyes. "But, it seems that someone has found it to their convenience to offer their lap as my pillow?"

Erza crossed her arms and looked away with a blush sporting on her face. She then began nervously when she felt his gaze on her, explaining her reason, "You… you looked so peaceful while you were sleeping. I just thought you know… that you must be tired from…"

"From what?"

She met his gaze at his lack of consideration suggested in his tone, and shot him an incredulous look. Her color refilled her cheeks as she glared at him. "You think that you are being subtle about it but you are wrong. I know all about you and your nocturnal activities. Sometimes, I think that you should have been born a vampire instead with your sleeping habits."

"Vampire?" Sasuke pretended to get hurt by clutching his shirt over his chest. She was trying to scold him, but instead of feeling annoyed he actually felt happy.

Erza raised her eyebrows, before shaking her head. "Maybe you are actually a vampire. You already have pale skin, you tend to be awake at night and you already got that… you know the black cape thing going and ruby eyes."

Sasuke thought about it for a moment. "Hmm, you do have a point. Maybe I am." He said, but still made no effort to get up. It felt really warm and comfy in her lap. Maybe that was actual reason that he had a dream after a long time. Who knows?

"So… who was your prey last night?" Erza asked.

"No one fancy caught my eye." Sasuke shrugged before looking at her. "Be careful though… I am still hungry and I might bite you."

Okay. He might have said something totally wrong or something flirtiest without his knowledge if she was blushing like a tomato now. He saw her open her mouth after a few moments, refusing to look him in the eye and looking to the side, "…I don't mind." She said quietly.

Sasuke blinked. What?! What was that supposed to mean?

Shocked and not knowing what she just implied, Sasuke just stared at her with his mouth open. He blinked a couple of times as he too looked to his side, that awkward silence hanging in between them.

They both stayed the same way as they were, with Sasuke's head still lying comfortably on Erza's lap and Erza looking to the side. Laughter of children was heard in the background as they contemplated what to say next.

"So," Sasuke coughed, searching for another topic after a minute which seemed like an eternity. "What's the rest of the guild doing now? I was honestly expecting few thanks because they get to enjoy a free day because of me."

That seemed to do the trick as Erza got back to him. She rolled her eyes at him. "A free day because you nearly destroyed the arena and Laxus gave the finishing touches to it."

"That reminds me… How will the games be carried out now that Raven Tail is expelled?"

"That is why the authorities decided to give us a day of rest, so that they can decide how to proceed from now." Erza leaned against the tree to her back. "And, they also caught scent of the underworld bouts and are interrogating around."

"Interrogation, huh?" Sasuke could only hope the siblings remained safe. "How are Natsu and the others faring?"

"The usual. Natsu challenged Naruto to an eating contest." Erza knew that because she observed many bowls of Ramen to the either side of them on her way. "I think Lucy and Levy went to do some shopping. Gray is caught up in his struggles with Lyon and Juvia. The rest of the guild is at the bar."

"Juvia, huh?" Sasuke remembered giving Gray a pep talk on this. He blamed mostly on sake for his rather weird bonding moment with Gray. "He must know how she realizes about him, right?"

"Yeah," Erza chuckled. "I even talked to Gray regarding this."

"No kidding!" Sasuke said, looking at her in surprise. "Even I talked to him regarding that."

Erza got surprised hearing that Sasuke talked on such a subject. He was the last person she expected to be talking about that kind of stuff. "Well, seems like neither of our talks did anything."

"He'll come to… eventually." Sasuke said, remembering about Sakura. "And, when he realizes this, he will give her the answer she deserves." Even though he himself hadn't given any kind of response to his team mate, it looked like Sakura understood it without him ever saying anything.

Juvia was different though. She was different than Sakura in few ways. Maybe she really cared about Gray but she is quick to judge any other girl close to Gray as her rival. What was the specific term she used? Yeah, Love Rival. He remembered Lucy being called that a lot of times.

Sakura never called anyone her rival… Scratch that thought. He just remembered Ino. Those two were always competing behind him for his affection since he was just a six year old kid. Even after he lost his clan and was hell bent on revenge. He remembered Naruto saying something like he was responsible for breaking the friendship between Sakura and Ino.

He really shouldn't be the one to discuss stuff like this.

"Maybe you are right," Erza said, nodding to herself apparently satisfied with his explanation. "But, I wouldn't say the same for Natsu and Lucy."

"Natsu and Lucy are a thing?" Sasuke raised his eyebrows. He bent his right leg and rested his right forearm on it as he looked at Erza.

"Yeah," Erza said, looking at the curious expression Sasuke gave. "You did not notice it before?"

Sasuke shook his head. "No, since Natsu is an idiot. I did not think it was possible for him to be invested in anyone."

"He isn't. Lucy is."

He thought about it for a moment. "Lucy does seem like the type. But, I can bet that Natsu won't notice this unless someone spells it out for him."

Erza narrowed her eyes. "You think Natsu is incapable?"

Sasuke sensed a dangerous aura around her. She was standing up for her friend, which was good. But, facts were facts. "Yeah… if he is anything like Naruto to go which I think he is, then yeah."

"Oh," Erza cocked an eyebrow, trying to act calm about it but challenged him to elaborate. "Naruto was Hinata's crush for a long time. And, now they are engaged _which_ I think is possible only because Naruto _realized_ her feelings."

Sasuke stared right back at her, accepting her challenge. He had earlier asked Naruto on why he decided to marry Hinata and his reasoning had _baffled_ him. "Naruto was shown a series of images where she stuttered around him since childhood, and was _shown_ her confession which he apparently forgot (pain attack). He practically knew or realized as you say about her love inside a _genjutsu_."

"Really?" Erza asked with a surprised expression.

"Yeah," Sasuke continued his previous thought. "By the time I- _we_ got back to the village, I was actually half expecting him to be with Sakura."

"But, didn't Sakura… you know…" Erza looked away with a nervous expression, her chest tight all of a sudden. She actually found it hard to say, but found the courage nonetheless to finish her question. "…like you?"

"She has been, I guess." Sasuke closed his eyes, thinking on how crazy Sakura was for a bit. He did try to kill her after all, but then again he did try to kill Naruto too. He wondered how Erza would feel when she knows about this tid bit of information. "But, then again so did Naruto for as long as I remember. He also put his life on danger multiple times for her."

Some of them had been from him. Yeah, he got this information about the _promise_ as well. Apparently, Sai just loves to run his mouth. That promise that Naruto made to Sakura regarding him… it hurt him a bit knowing that he had caused such trouble for Naruto, but the blonde was a forgiving moron. So, he didn't share about this with him.

Erza bent her head down a bit and ran her fingers through his soft bangs absent mindedly. Sasuke froze at first, but relaxed himself immediately at the gesture. It was now becoming a warm feeling… this posture. Reminded him a bit of his mother when he slept on her lap.

"Maybe Naruto liked her so much that he decided to bow out for her." Erza said after contemplating what Sasuke just told her. She still ran her fingers through his hair absentmindedly, "For a girl, it's difficult to change her feelings so easily."

"Hn, he calls himself my rival." Sasuke spoke slightly venting his frustration, "I left the village (again) to repent for my sins alone, and he didn't take the chance. I have been away two years for kami's sake."

Erza felt slightly relieved when Sasuke spoke. So, he only cared for Sakura as his teammate and a friend. She knew she was being horrible by being relived on Sakura's case, but she couldn't help it. "As I said, a girl's feelings don't change so easily… but, it is not impossible." She was a prime example herself, but she decided to put off her feelings until she got to know the whole truth regarding Sasuke…courtesy of Naruto's slip of tongue. "If Naruto had really tried, then it may have been possible as you say."

"Hn, whatever." He rolled his eyes thinking of his idiotic friend. He closed his eyes blocking thoughts about love and all, irritated just thinking about it.

"You think this is all silly, don't you?" Erza smiled sadly looking to her front as Sasuke opened his eyes and stared blankly at her. "Love is a bit more complicated than you think… I know that it starts off with an attraction at first. But that's not all… it's like, how to put it?" She thought hard but nothing decent came to her mind. "This feeling flows from somewhere else. Even if people disagree and you know you won't make the cut, once you realize this, it is actually unstoppable."

Erza finished and bent her head down to look at him. Her cheeks slightly heated up when he was openly gaping at her with wide eyes. Maybe she said something wrong. "W-What?"

A smirk fell on his lips. "Looks like someone has been reading a lot of books."

"S-Shut up!"

She was blushing with a color rivalling her hair now. She was just so easy to tease. He silently wondered if these kind of reactions and expressions were only reserved for him since she generally tends to be bossy around others. He wondered what other kind of reactions he could get from her.

He went forward with his thought as he raised his right arm and cupped her smooth cheek. If it was possible for her to blush even more, then she was doing just that. He smiled in return, "You are warm."

Erza blinked at his smile and finally lost it. She immediately got up, squirming out of that position causing Sasuke's head to be dropped onto the grass rather harshly. Crossing her arms, "O-Of course, it's warm. It is all because of the stress that has been building up." She nodded, convincing herself that.

"Sure." Was all Sasuke said as he got up. He noticed that her cheeks were still flushed slightly as she refused to look at him.

"L-Let's hurry back to Natsu and the others. Who knows what kind of rampage he is causing?" Saying so she stomped away.

"Hn," Sasuke adjusted his cloak and followed after her.

He had been expecting to meet Naruto too. His friend had earlier informed him that he found a strange cave under the arena. But, since he was too tired due to lack of sleep, he said to Naruto that they would investigate it later and found himself dozing in a park before a certain red head found him. Now was a good time to discuss about it as he got sufficient rest.

..

..

* * *

"Aw, ~Minerva-chan! You are so mean!"

Minerva was storming away as Kawaguchi followed behind her. He ran once again, falling into pace with her and turned his head, "Okay, forget about the hotel. What do you say about coffee?"

Minerva stopped and stared at him in annoyance. "You seriously don't know when to give up, do you?"

"You know me~!"

Minerva shook her head and proceeded to walk towards her inn ignoring him. There went whatever plans she had to dust. All because a certain someone wouldn't stop pestering and following around her. She turned a right and walked straight down the road with her guild inn in sight… or what's left of it after Natsu's rampage.

She could still feel that annoying presence behind her. That guy didn't seem to know how to take a hint. "Okay," She turned towards him and shot him a sharp gaze. "I'll go with you on whatever and wherever you want, if your sister joins Sabertooth." With two god slayers with them, they would be even more formidable. A smirk fell on her lips, "What do you say? Not a bad offer, I think."

The man's smile faltered a bit, "It depends on my sister. You already heard her reply when you sent Sting to recruit her." He started rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't really force her into anything… if she agrees, then there is no problem. But, you already know that she is stubborn as hell."

Minerva was not impressed. Her lips thinned as she heard the man's reply. "Don't bother around, then."

"~ Why do you want my sister, when you can have me?" He gave a sexy smirk and winked at her. "I'll be much more entertaining than my sister."

"Kawaguchi, stop!" Minerva held her palm at him. Her eyes narrowed. "I don't usually encourage such kind of behavior. The only reason you are getting away is -"

"Because I am handsome?"

"No." Minerva rubbed her temples in exasperation. "Even if you're handsome, your creepiness cancels it. The only reason you are getting away is because your sister helped us that one time."

"Are you sure you are not a lesbian?" Kawaguchi crossed his arms bending his head a little. She blinked with the question catching her off-guard. "You are so much obsessed with recruiting my sis that even I am beginning to doubt it."

"W-What?" She coughed, regaining her composure. "Anyway, that's that. If you want to take me out, bring your sister."

It was a win-win situation either way for her. If his sister agrees to join them, going out with him was a short price to pay. Even if she doesn't, at least she would be free of him. That was when she remembered a particular scene.

"Come to think of it, don't you have a wife already?" Minerva sneered at the thought of a married man goofing around. "Just how much more of a pervert can you be?"

"W-Who told you that?" He pointed a shaking finger at her.

"As I thought," She nodded before redirecting her attention to the man whose face went blue. "I caught that fact when you were busy playing near a fairy. If my guess is correct, your wife's a red head, right?"

His gaping mouth confirmed it.

"Anyway, I am going in." She turned to her heel before saying one final thing to Kawaguchi who had already gone pale. "Do remember this, though. My offer stands till the last day of the games."

And with that, she strode inside. Kawaguchi stood there silently for a few seconds staring dumbly at the door before a familiar face greeted him from behind. He felt someone smack him on the back.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the former champ?"

He blinked turning to the white dragon slayer. "For the record, that match never got finished."

"Yeah, right." Sting laughed as Lector joined him.

"I wonder what that makes you…" Kawaguchi replied with a taunting smile. "Mine, you could at least say was a draw. Yours on the other hand, I don't even know how to phrase it correctly… I am not sure if I can even call it a match. It looked pretty one-sided to me."

He smirked when he saw Sting glare at him for that. Sting held his gaze for a moment before looking away giving a weak excuse, "I was saving my energy for the games."

"Whatever helps you to sleep." Kawaguchi rolled his eyes.

He watched Sting walk to him with an annoyed expression at his reply. "Teme! Next time I battle with that masked man, I will beat him and make you eat your own words."

"Hai hai," He waved him off.

"Oi, listen to what people say!"

Sting and he knew each other a lot as he always ended up fighting the dragon slayer since he arrived first in Crockus. Sting and he were generally the ones facing each other in the finals every time they entered in those bouts.

"Anyway, do something about your madam… put in a word for me for old times' sake." Kawaguchi said with an honest expression.

He watched Sting sigh heavily at this, "I'll see what I can do."

Kawaguchi smiled and started walking away. "Thank you and in return, I'll inform how much of a gentleman you have become to my sister."

Sting blinked at that and immediately turned towards him. "Your sist -"

Kawaguchi was gone.

..

Kawaguchi observed Sting look around in confusion from the top of a building. His cheerful expression immediately shifted to a dour one as he detected a presence creeping up behind him.

"Been messing around, I see."

He turned when he heard a voice and saw a treacherous shadow looming behind him. His senses went still as he activated his doujutsu instinctively, taking up a stance.

"Relax," A low and hollow voice called out from the black mist. "Is that how you treat an old friend?"

"I ended up here two years because of you, bastard!" He let his arms fall to his side, dropping his stance but was still wary of the shadow. "You did not turn up at all as you promised."

The shadow chuckled, "I told you that preparations would take some time. There were… some unseen complications."

"Complications?"

"We got some interesting visitors… all because the princess failed in her mission." The shadow was no longer chuckling. The voice also sounded serious. "I thought you were the strongest in your army, young commander."

"I am."

"Then who is this Sasuke Uchiha? Does he belong to your army?"

Kawaguchi shook his head, "He does not belong to any platoon that I remember. Such a talented man is rare to not notice."

The shadow seemed to snort, its form shifting a bit. "This Sasuke and that masked man are dangerous. They have the ability to completely mess up my plan. And, if my plan gets messed up, then no one can save your wife. You are getting that, aren't you?"

"I get that." He nodded grimly. He then looked at that shadow, "This plan… if it succeeds, are you sure that you can save my wife?"

The shadow loomed over and started taking the shape of a human. A human face was now visible with half white and half black hair. A calm voice came out, "I cannot absolutely guarantee that it will work. But, if anything can save your wife, then it's this plan. I have been researching regarding the dragons and dragon slayer magic for a long time after all."

Kawaguchi had no other choice but to nod. He could only trust this plan and pray that in the end his wife would be saved and the child growing inside her.

"So, what's the course of action?"

"I would like to observe my current self a while longer. So for now, we do nothing." A figure finally stepped out of the shadows. His appearance was considerably different than his present's self; his hair was now much longer than before, being tied in a high ponytail that reached midway down his back. Additionally, rather than being completely black, his hair was black on the right, and a much lighter color on the left.

Kawaguchi observed a jagged scar that extended over the bridge of his nose and his bangs covering his right eye, and also a sharp curved tattoo along his left eye. "You mean to say that you want to observe the current Rogue?"

"Yes." This shadow dragon slayer nodded.

"Alright," Kawaguchi climbed onto the ledge, "Inform me about the plan when the time is right."

"I will." With that, Kawaguchi flickered away.

..

..

* * *

"What exactly is down here, Naruto-san?" Wendy asked the blonde who was leading the way.

Gajeel, Natsu and Gray walked in between her and Naruto with their respective exceed by their side. Sasuke walked alongside her and Lucy at the back. She looked anxiously between Naruto and Sasuke.

Few minutes earlier, they were nicely at the bar and relaxing their day of with the occasional brawl going on in the bar despite their master's protest. The brawl was however stopped the moment Erza entered with Sasuke. Probably more because of Erza's glare.

The last Uchiha then went straight to Naruto who was having an eating contest with Natsu. However, the cheerful grin fell of his face as soon as he saw Sasuke and both of them went to a corner to discuss something private. It looked pretty serious by the grim expressions they had on their faces with Sasuke sending occasional glances to Natsu or her which to be frank, unnerved her a bit.

Then, Sasuke walked over to her, Natsu and Gajeel, and asked them to follow him no questions asked. He said that it was of utmost importance and that they would understand it for themselves when they see it.

Wendy became nervous at first with following them around. She knew that Sasuke was a good person but he was a bit intimidating. Probably because she hadn't conversed much with Sasuke as Erza did with him. Sasuke was generally quiet and only spoke when it was required of him. And, he usually didn't hang around the bar a lot.

To be honest, he reminded her a bit of Mystogan, who was now the king of edolas. Naruto on the other hand was friendly with her, like the older brother she never had. For some reason, he decided to hang around her instead of roaming around with his friend. But she knew he wasn't just goofing around, playing in the bar and chatting with her. He was probably using that strange clone magic and making his clones do all the reckon work while he sat at the bar.

So far, neither Naruto nor Sasuke said anything as they lead them through a cave which was surprisingly found at the foot of the hill which consisted of the arena. This cave was right under the stadium.

They proceeded to walk in with Naruto taking the charge, as Natsu turned towards the former avenger, "Why only us?" he asked. Erza wasn't called to this and as far as he could tell, Erza was the closest to Sasuke in the guild.

"Does it have something to do with Dragon Slayers?" Happy asked out of curiosity.

"Probably," Lily answered thinking of the possible answers. Sasuke only nodded to confirm their suspicions.

"Although we do have spectators…" Carla pointed towards Lucy and Gray.

"There's some guy named "Spector" here?" Gray titled his head, not aware that Carla just referred to him and Lucy.

"I'm just curious." Lucy said as she wanted to know the reason why only the dragon slayers were called.

"This is it." Naruto said as he stopped walking and others did the same too.

"What the hell is that?!" Gray said looking at the bones which were located few meters away from him.

"Animal… Bones?" Lucy said but ended up as a question as she too was unaware of what it was because the bones were way too big to be called of an animal.

"Dragon bones… It's a dragon graveyard." Natsu answered to Lucy. He knew how the dragon bones looked as he grew under Igneel and trained with him during his childhood.

"Are all of these dragon bones?!" Happy looked everywhere because there were numerous amount of bones around them. "There are so many!"

"These place confirms the existence of dragons." Gajeel crossed his arms as a grim expression took over his face. People normally wouldn't believe when they hear that dragons used to live here before and considered it a myth. They also heard that there was a black dragon Acnologia but since they never saw it with their own two eyes, they never believed it.

Sasuke nodded, agreeing with Gajeel. "When Naruto told me that he found a weird cave because of my ju- spell yesterday, I asked him to investigate it." He said, explaining about the place to others. "And, then when he said that he found huge bones here, I thought maybe you guys would know something about this."

Thousands of dragon bones were scattered all around the place. "Maybe something happened here." Lucy said wondering about the cause.

"Maybe Igneel is here too…" Happy said as negative thoughts started to occur in his brain. He saw Natsu stop in his tracks and realized his mistake immediately.

"Happy!" Carla scolded Happy in a stern voice.

"Sorry…" Happy apologized.

"That's okay. He's not here." Natsu assured Happy.

"Our dragons disappeared 14 years ago. The remains at rest here are much more ancient." Gajeel added his observations.

"So, this is where you guys come in," Sasuke turned towards them. "Does any one of you know any spell, you know… that allows you to converse with dead souls?" He had seen Mavis walking around and interacting with the guild even though she was dead. There had to be a spell that one of these dragon slayers might know to interact with a dead dragon.

"Milky Way… It's one of the Secret Dragon Slayer spells that Poluchka-san taught me." Wendy began as she thought hard about that spell. "I thought it was a kind of attacking magic, but maybe this is what it referred to. Milky Way may be magic that lets me hear the voices of dragon souls."

She then looked over at Sasuke expectantly, who jerked his head to continue, "If I can hear the voices of these sleeping dragons, maybe we can find out what happened here. And learn what happened to our own dragons that disappeared." She finished. Naruto went to coo and hug the adorable dragon slayer for her feat. Lucy, Gray, Natsu and Gajeel just settled with wide eyes in awe, showing less display of affection for the dragon slayer than the hyper active blonde.

Sasuke grabbed Naruto by his collar and pulled him away from Wendy when she looked like she was going to suffocate in the bear crushing hug Naruto was giving her.

She panted and regained her breath. She then thanked Sasuke and started drawing something on the ground with a stick which everyone believed to be the magic runes necessary for the spell. "That'll do it. Everyone, please back up a bit," and with that Wendy started chanting a spell.

A green light appeared around the magic runes that searched for the dragon souls. Natsu, Naruto, Gray, Happy and Lucy were busy praising the beautiful scenery that was caused by the spell as tiny green orbs floated around that dark caves.

"It's beautiful!" Lucy exclaimed. Objects which looked like stars were moving around the place to search for dragon souls. After waiting for few minutes, Wendy shot open her wide eyes and said, "I found one!" and a big circle started to form above their heads and finally a huge dragon appeared in front of them. The dragon's roar echoed through the whole place.

After hearing the dragon roar everyone screamed except for Naruto, and Sasuke who activated his sharingan.

They became pale as white as if they had seen a ghost. Well, practically they did see a ghost. The dragon continued its roar which eventually turned into a loud laugh, "Seeing that shocked look on human faces never gets old." The dragon said mockingly, its gaze moving from Natsu to Gajeel and settling on Sasuke for a second.

While everyone's condition was getting a bit better, they watched the dragon speak, "My name is Zirconis, but I'm also known as the Jade Dragon." After introducing itself it turned a little to the left and said, "The spell you used to summon my soul belonged to Grandine, The sky dragon, yes? Where are you? Hm?" the dragon started looking around and eventually spotted Wendy.

"Cute!" the dragon said in a flirty tone as it approached Wendy. "This little Dragon Slayer summoned me?"

"Hey! Get away from Wendy!" Naruto yelled taking a stance in front of her.

"Forget it!" The dragon said as it head butted with Naruto. "I'm going to eat this girl."

"Bastard!"

"I'm kidding, of course, you stupid species. Look! What can as astral body do?" The dragon said as its finger passed through Naruto's body. Wendy sweat dropped at Naruto's silliness whereas Sasuke just smacked his forehead.

"This guy…" Naruto grit his teeth as the dragon started getting on his nerves.

"What's up with this playful man?" Lucy said pointing a finger at him in disbelief.

"He's not a man. He's a dragon." Gray corrected Lucy, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"My name is Zirconis, but I'm also known as the Jade Dragon…" the dragon introduced itself again.

"You already told us that!" Gajeel yelled at the dragon.

"What happened here? There are a lot of dragon remains here." Happy asked the dragon.

"We summoned your soul so we could learn the truth." Gajeel added.

"I have nothing to say to humans. Go away!" the dragon said.

"I'm a cat." Happy raised its hand in disapproval.

"Okay, then. It happened over 400 years ago." The dragon started, convinced by Happy's argument.

"Your rules are pretty loose, you know." Gray dead panned.

"Dragons were once the rulers of this world." The Jade dragon began ignoring Gray's comment. "We thrived, flying through the air, racing across the land, and swimming in the sea. Everything in this world belonged to us. Humans were no more than our prey."

"But there was a foolish dragon who objected to our reign." Sasuke did not miss how the dragon's tone or expression changed when it spoke about this dragon. "That one spouted nonsense about building a world in which we could coexist with humans. Eventually, between the dragons who agreed and those who disagreed, a war began. I fought as one who disagreed."

"I have no fondness for humans." The dragon admitted, looking in their direction. "That is, unless we're talking about food."

Natsu clutched his sides and tried hard to withhold his laughter. "You're talking to food." he placed a hand across his mouth.

"Hey! I don't like when it talks back either!" the dragon yelled.

"So what happened with the war?" Naruto asked, getting to the point again.

"It heated up. The battles between dragon and dragon tore up vast areas of land. Eventually, the dragons who were for coexistence devised a stupid strategy. They involved humans in the war by giving them Dragon Slayer Magic, which could destroy dragons and that's the origin of dragon slayers."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly at this, but he spoke nothing. The dragon continued, "Dragon slayers had tremendous power. Victory for the dragons who chose to coexist with humans was imminent. However, they had made one miscalculation."

"What miscalculation?" Sasuke asked, speaking to the dragon for the first time.

"An Uchiha, eh?" The dragon stopped talking as it locked its gaze with Sasuke and recognized the sharingan, "I see that your despicable clan survived. Your clan was one of the reason the other side won, boy."

"So, what happened?" He asked, sending a hidden message that it won't be successful in riling him up. The dragon seemed to catch his point as it began again,

"A particular incident happened in one of the strongest kingdoms that coexisted with dragons." It paused, as everyone became still at its dingy expression. It waited for several seconds as it seemed to think about something. "That kingdom acted as the spark for the second war. That kingdom was..."

"Well?" Sasuke prompted it.

It settled its gaze on him again. "Your kingdom, boy." The dragon said as Sasuke's eyes widened. "Your cursed clan's kingdom. Those damnable eyes that subdued many dragons."

Sasuke found no words. The only clues he had regarding his clan was in ancient books and even that gave him no answers as to what exactly happened to his clan. "…you…" His voice was raspy, but he did not care on what others thought. "…you know what happened to my clan?"

"I don't know the specifics as we were busy taking refuge," The dragon snarled, clearly not interested in talking about that specific topic. It then looked at Sasuke and wanted to sigh at the desperate expression the boy was trying to hide. "Alright… I'll tell you what I know. It probably won't do me any good hiding any information but who cares. I am dead anyway."

Sasuke nodded gratefully, "It is much appreciated."

"I do not need your thanks, boy." The dragon sneered, but shook its head at the stoic boy. He was not provoked in the slightest by its actions. Sighing, "As far as I know, it happened when the strongest Uchiha of our time disappeared into thin air along with a few others. He was the strongest human during our time, so his disappearance was definitely a blow for the kingdom. Suspicions were thrown around and one thing led to another."

The others were silently listening to this. They did not know much about the Uchiha anyway, so they were surprised when they heard that Uchiha were somehow involved in the dragon king festival. Naruto, in particular was more worried as he knew that it was important to Sasuke.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. It sounded a bit like the predicament his clan underwent in Konoha which eventually led to massacre of his clan. The irony here was that the escaped members met with the same fate in a new world too.

"So, the Uchiha killed all the dragons… or was it the other way around?" Sasuke asked remembering Irene's words.

"Like I said, I don't know what exactly went down but it was the start of everything." The dragon said. "The extinction of dragons was however because of another thing. The dragon slayers were the ones who did it. They killed even the dragons who wished to live peacefully with them." The dragon spoke with some slight remorse. Though the dragons on the opposite sides were its enemy, it still couldn't bear when its kind was murdered by lowly humans.

Sasuke could see Natsu and Gajeel clench their fists at this. Probably disgusted by the thought of them killing their parents. He could see Wendy being comforted by Naruto as Lucy gasped at this knowledge. The rest of them didn't show much on their face, but they also probably noticed the regret in the Jade dragon's eyes.

"However," The dragon spoke this time addressing to everyone with a dark expression. "There was one man among humans who bathed in the blood of too many dragons." Sasuke could slightly detect fear now gripping the proud and arrogant dragon.

"I fear to even say his name." He could see the ghost sweating. It happened around 400 hundred years ago and if fear still gripped the dragon, he could only imagine the level of terror that one human caused. "He continued to destroy dragons and bathe in their blood."

"Is he still alive?" Naruto asked.

"I think presently his skin turned to scales, his teeth to fangs and he transformed into a dragon himself."

Lucy felt her body quiver at this, "A human… turned to dragon?"

"That's what dragon slayer magic can lead to."

Natsu and Gajeel, both had grave faces when they learnt of what the repeated use of their magic leads to. Naruto, though in an alternate world, could not bear to hear about this anymore. Human or dragon, it didn't matter. Nobody can slaughter an entire species just out of some grudge. But, he could not say anything as he was busy comforting a trembling Wendy.

"The dragons resting in peace here were all murdered by that man." Sasuke once again surveyed the entire area as the dragon continued. "Though human, he became the dragon king. Though the second war was started by the _incident_ in the Uchiha kingdom, the dragon king bragged the rights of the war as he finished it. That was the festival of dragon king."

"Who was it?" Sasuke asked. This guy was probably the Madara of this world. And, if he was still alive then this world wasn't safe until long. Fairy Tail wasn't safe… Erza wasn't safe until he was eliminated.

"That king's name was Acnologia. A dragon with pitch-black wings unlike any other dragon…"

"Acnologia?" Sasuke found himself repeating the name since he heard it before. The dragon that was responsible for his guild's current condition. One that almost wiped out the Tenroujima crew if it were not were for the first master, Mavis. He felt his coils burning with rage and his fists shook in anger as the dragon continued.

"Acnologia, the dragon that can devour all the existence… one that brought an end to your clan's reign and the dragons."

* * *

 **And, cut. A cliffhanger, I know but it can't be helped. My limit as of now is 8000 words.**

 **Cheers if you can guess the OC's identity now. I think it should be pretty clear now due to the hints that were dropped in this chapter. Jutten already guessed it almost two chapters ago without many hints. I wonder how he figured it out though.**

 **Anyway, see you guys in the next chapter.**

 **Until then, later!**


	21. Chapter 21: The Eclipse Project

**Sorry for the late update. My laptop needed to be fixed and I was busy with projects and stuff. Thankfully, my laptop's back.**

 **As always, thanks to GB108, LyHy, Jutten, Mobydicks, Devil's Darklight, iskandarrobby47, StopTeasing, dimas_vaw, abbasshashemh37, hateme101, The King in White, black goku and guest(x3) for your reviews. You guys are the best.  
**

 **I must say that I felt quite honored when I saw The King in White's review, as his fic Irregular Metronome is one of the gems in this cross-over section, me being one of its avid readers. If you guys haven't read that, do give it a try. It is a definite read.**

 **Anyway, continuing on; (didn't have time to check for the errors, so apologize in advance if there are any)  
**

* * *

 **...**

 **Chapter 21: The Eclipse Project  
**

 _"Acnologia, the dragon that can devour all existence... and one that brought an end to your clan's reign."_

..

"Acnologia?" Naruto crossed his arms and tilted his head quizzically to look at others. The others shot him a confused look for a moment before Lucy realized.

"Oh, that's right," Lucy said, turning towards Naruto. "You weren't there, so you didn't know. Probably Sasuke-san doesn't know much about it either." She pointed out, now turning towards the silent Uchiha, who did not look like he was going to answer her.

She remembered something and looked hesitantly between a clueless Naruto and a silent Sasuke, before receiving a nod from Gray to tell them. She sighed before she began explaining to them, "He… this Acnologia was the precise reason we were locked in that stasis for seven years on tenroujima island."

"What stasis?" Naruto looked even more confused but before Lucy could go into depth to explain her fellow blonde, Sasuke interrupted her.

"Talk about what happened after that." Sasuke spared a look to his friend. "I'll explain about tenroujima to you later." He then turned towards Lucy again. "So, you are trying to say Acnologia has some sort of time-space magic?" He inquired. The tale sounded a lot different from what Erza had told him.

If he has such kind of power, then he would have to use his own Time-space jutsu as a counter when he fights that dragon-slaying man.

"No," Lucy shook her head quickly shutting out Sasuke's counter strategies against Acnologia. "That was casted by the first master, Mavis. The time sphere was a defense against the Acnologia since… we couldn't do anything to it. We were helpless at the time."

She was so shaken up by remembering that day's events that she missed Sasuke's brow twitch slightly. Great, so now Mavis? And how could she be alive to cast the Fairy Sphere if that old man was the third master while she was claimed to be the first? Wasn't she just a dead soul brought around by some kind of spell?

Sasuke decided to push the questions to the back of his mind and decided to ask them later. There was another interesting thing that was brought up by this dead dragon regarding Acnologia.

"So, you mean to say that… Acnologia was originally a human?!" Gajeel asked what Sasuke was thinking, with a visibly shaken up expression. Gajeel's whole demeanor was like a calm ocean before a storm hit it. So, that meant that… if they continuously use their… they would turn into dragon?!

"Ridiculous!" Natsu shouted, thinking the same thing as Gajeel and probably so did Wendy.

Gajeel looked at Natsu and then at the Jade dragon. That's right. There's no way that could be true. "Natsu is absolutely right. There's no way Acnologia could be a human!"

"There's no reason for a dead soul to joke around," Sasuke spoke up from beside, hoping to calm the two dragon slayers.

Gray snickered from beside, "I think someone joked around few minutes earlier. I wonder who that was."

Sasuke pretended not to hear and ignored Gray's snide remark about the jokes which the dragon made when it showed itself. "That Acnologia must be a special case."

"It's up to you to believe me or not," The jade dragon frowned as others turned their attention to it. "But, what I am telling you is the truth. He slaughtered most of our kind. That was around 400 years ago." It's body began to dim and half of the surrounding green orbs vanished. "You… people were the ones who did this…"

Everyone stared blankly as the dragon vanished into thin air as it talked, before it finished what it wanted to tell. It vanished completely as Natsu, Gray and Gajeel protested after they recovered from the shock.

"Naruto," Sasuke turned his head towards his friend who already had the same idea. His eyes had already changed to toad shape.

Naruto looked around and tried to feel up more of this magical source of the Jade dragon, but couldn't feel any. So, it seems that the dragon was gone for real. "No signs. He has vanished completely."

"Naruto-san is right." Wendy said, opening her eyes and confirmed as her spell receded. Happy and Carla ran towards her as she gave Sasuke the confirmation. "All the souls in this place are gone. In eastern terms, I suppose it would be calling it 'Entering Nirvana.'"

"That was a hell of a history lesson," Gray commented after a moment of silence as Natsu still seemed to be calling out to that dragon. He turned towards Sasuke, "Are you really sure that you are from another world? I mean given how much history your clan has here…" He trailed off.

"I am, unless..." Sasuke shook his head immediately, trying to clear away the doubts that began to form inside his head. The last thing he needed was another one of the foundations in his life to crumble. He opened his eyes with absolute clarity hoping that he was right. Otherwise, Itachi would have said something about this, right?

"Some of my ancestors travelled here way back. So, I think the dragon was either speaking about them or their descendants." He explained.

"Well, after learning about your clan, I couldn't help but feel it." Gray admitted before he shrugged. He then turned towards Natsu who had grown strangely quiet. "Natsu, what's up? You have gone strangely quiet."

"If you use too much dragon slayer magic…" Natsu began calmly before panic hit him in full flow. His skin turned pale white as he turned around, "YOU TURN INTO A REAL DRAGON?!"

"THAT WOULD BE BAD!" Gajeel joined him with an equally frightful expression. A storm hit his calm sea.

Wendy too joined them, but not in a brash way, "What should we do?!"

Naruto was quick to comfort her, ignoring the other two dragon slayers' remark about favoritism. He patted her head, "Mah, mah. You will be alright Wendy-chan. I bet you'll be as cute as you are now even after you turn into a dragon."

That last bit completely quashed his previous soothing as Wendy also started to run amok like her fellow dragon slayers.

"Oi, pedophile!" Sasuke scolded the blonde who rushed to his side quickly at the nick name. "Stop scaring the living crap out of children."

"Who are you calling pedophile?!"

Sasuke ignored his retort as he looked at Wendy and said, "If what they think is true, don't you think they would at least grow some scales by now given how much magic they have used."

Naruto stopped his racket after a moment as it made sense at what Sasuke just said. Even the others stopped bouncing around in fear after hearing his assessment. "Well… that's true."

Claps filled the air before Sasuke could speak further.

"Looks like the rumors about you are true after all, Uchiha-san," A man came into their field of view as he stepped towards them clapping his hands. All of them immediately tensed at the new arrival. They took in his features as the guy simply stood at the top of a rubble and stared them down.

The man was muscular, well-built of average height, seen to be wearing armor of the Cherry Blossom Holy Knight Squadron. He had a small scar running from his left temple to the edge of his thick eyebrows. His hair was dark and wavy, sticking up around his head, with prominent sideburns that join into a curved and pointed beard.

Sasuke frowned, his already active red sharingan blazing and his tomoe spun a little when the man looked directly into his eyes, "Who are you?"

"Don't be so rude, Uchiha-san." The man bowed with a mock grin introducing himself. "I was merely interested to know what our kind and noble princess saw in you. My name is Arcadios and I am the chief of the Cherry Blossom Holy Knight Squadron."

Sasuke didn't react at his slightly condescending and judging tone. He looked at Wendy before his eyes trailed to Lucy, and worried about their safety if a battle was to ensue. He didn't specify anything about this expedition to Erza, so if any of her teammate's got hurt, she would probably skin him alive. Nothing mattered more to her than her nakama's safety.

"I overheard everything. Our research seems like it was in fact in accordance to historical fact. You people know of Zeref's demons, don't you?"

Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other and then back at the man again. Naruto decided to go of the both of them and simply raised his hand. The man motioned him to continue as he took in a deep breath.

"WHO THE HECK IS THIS ZEREF NOW?!" He yelled as Sasuke nodded silently, agreeing with the blonde.

Despite the rude way Naruto asked, Sasuke could not help but feel the same way. First Acnologia and now Zeref. Just when he was beginning to think that this world was peaceful from his after all.

"He is this super evil dude who is the root of all evil in this world," Gajeel answered the two shinobi who looked at each other again.

Yup, definitely Black Zetsu.

"He is also the one who created monsters which caused terror among the people." Gray's fists clenched, his anger and frustration not missed by both the shinobi. He nearly snarled, "One of such monsters… It…"

"Gray." Lucy said softly, placing her hand on his shoulder.

Gray sighed and took in a deep breath to calm himself as Lucy turned towards the two shinobi, "Zeref was either directly or indirectly responsible for the bad past of many of our guild members. Like Gray, who lost everything to one of his monsters… and Erza, who was made a slave in her childhood, in hopes of reviving him."

Revenge, Sasuke narrowed his eyes and immediately caught onto Gray's feelings and he somehow guessed Erza's since he witnessed all those events back in his world. Now that he thought about it, that kid Jellal did specify someone like Zeref in the memories he looked up back when little Erza tried to rescue him.

Naruto's eyes were down casted as well. He remembered his talk with Erza and how she spoke about her friends trying to kill each other. His talk did soothe her though not completely. Maybe they too were slaves if she said that they were her childhood friends. Maybe, that's why she was still worried about them.

The man now named Arcadios continued catching their attention, "It's just as you heard. Zeref is the root of all evil. We also believe that he was the one that turned a dragon slayer into Acnologia."

"Zeref did it?!" Happy asked.

"So, in other words," The man stared at them with absolute seriousness. "Destroying Zeref will be the first step to destroying Acnologia." Natsu's eyes widened as a short white haired woman now walked and stood beside the commander.

"You are Yukino!"

Sasuke calmly observed Lucy and Natsu, who asked her few questions, before he noticed Carla wincing slightly beside him. The female exceed caught her head and blinked a couple of times before she started glaring at Lucy all of a sudden.

 _That is odd_ , he thought before he turned towards the man again. The man was speaking about the white haired girl now named 'Yukino.' If he recalled correctly, Natsu claimed to have fought with Sabertooth master for her sake.

Maybe, she was just working undercover. He didn't particularly care about the rest of the conversation as he tuned them out.

* * *

Arcadios asked them to follow him and took them to the king's palace. They mainly followed because curiosity was getting the better of them. They were taken to a huge underground chamber with a long corridor with only lanterns providing the light in the dim area.

At least some mysteries were solved as Arcadios admitted to having been behind the Fairy Tail abduction attempts and reassured them that he meant no harm to them. He was just using forceful measures for acquiring Lucy's cooperation and even said he felt ashamed. Talk about roundabout methods.

"What is the purpose of GMG?" Sasuke asked for the first time since they began to walk.

Arcadios chuckled a bit. "Nothing seems to miss you, Uchiha-san." He then looked behind his shoulder at the Uchiha, "The true purpose of the games is to accumulate a wizard's magic power. The grand magic games and the prize money were just a camouflage for this."

"So, every year you stole magic from the participants?" Gray questioned, the answer already known as others had disgusted expressions.

"That's terrible!"

"That's really low."

"Exactly."

"What magic power and what accumulation again?" Naruto asked with a clueless look on his face. Sasuke sighed, thinking it was his fault to begin with for roping the dobe in without any prior knowledge.

He placed a hand on his shoulder and gave an apologetic expression, "I'll… explain later." This was probably the fifth time he said to him this day.

"Say what you want," The man responded to Natsu and the co's insults, turning a corner in the corridor and opened a huge door which stood in front of them. "I did it all for a certain plan."

All of them gasped as soon as they entered at the huge circular disk in front of them, which had many weird designs. Around twelve rods were across the rim along the circumference of the disk as the man now turned towards them. It was so huge that Kurama could probably fit through it.

"This is Eclipse, the portal that will change the world. A great deal of magic was required to construct it."

"Portal?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He looked behind his shoulder at Naruto, and his eyes widened when he realized Naruto was no longer maintaining his sage mode,"N-Naruto… your eyes…?"

Naruto blinked and realized what was wrong after a moment. He sighed as he understood the reason after looking around a bit, "I don't know exactly what's going on around in this place, but whatever nature energy was around was sucked by that huge circular disk. It is all directed towards it."

 _Even chakra is no exception?!_ Sasuke frowned. Well, it was to be expected. Though jutsu and spells worked differently, chakra and ethernano were still fundamentally same on a level. So, that meant ninjutsu and senjutsu was out of the question near this place.

Arcadios was explaining about the gate to the others in the meantime, "When the sun and moon meet, the twelve keys will be used to open the door." Everyone looked unsure at where this was going as Naruto and Sasuke joined the talk. "Our plan is to travel back 400 years and finish Zeref before he becomes immortal. That is the eclipse project."

Sasuke's sharp gaze caught onto the multiple people that shifted in the dark patchy areas. Maybe it was an ambush. If so, Taijutsu and genjutsu it is then. He looked back at the general who stared at him expectantly and so asked, "So, this Eclipse gate acts as a time machine. Is that what you are trying to say?"

"Uchiha-sama, time flows differently between our world and the celestial world." Yukino addressed Sasuke before turning her head towards Lucy for conformation. "You may ask Lucy-sama regarding this?"

"Yes, I know about the time difference." Lucy nodded. She did travel to the celestial world once with the rest of team Natsu to spend a day. But, it had come at the expense of their whole training camp, which was for three months.

"The idea is to use the dimensional boundary line of the celestial world and the power of a celestial wizard to open this door." Yukino informed them.

All of them didn't like where this conversation was leading to. Sasuke raised his hand to Naruto and made few hand signs as he darted few steps forward until he was beside Lucy. Arcadios in the meantime continued where Yukino left off.

"The project is sure to succeed only when a true celestial wizard uses the twelve keys. I could say that aspect is indispensable. The sun and the moon eclipse is going to occur on July 7th."

He bowed his head slightly surprising Lucy. "I would like your help for it, Lucy-dono."

"July 7th… the day our dragons disappeared," Natsu pointed.

"Is it just another coincidence?" Gajeel wondered.

Sasuke immediately sensed the guards drawing in closer. "Look sharp, both of you!" He ordered. Alas, his pre-warning turned to be void as before the others could grasp on what was happening, they were surrounded by many soldiers on all sides. A complete dead lock, with no opening to escape.

"That's enough! Don't move!" One of the soldiers yelled.

"Is it his ploy?!" Natsu noticed the guards and immediately glared at the tall general in front of him. "If it is, I will make sure he will pay for it!"

Sasuke stayed silent as he watched the soldiers. _No, something's not right. We aren't their actual target._ His eyes widened in realization just as a well-known voice was heard behind the troops. "Surrender peacefully, Captain Arcadios."

The soldiers parted as a tiny man walked forward. Sasuke immediately recognized him and so did Arcadios. "Minister Darton, what is the meaning of this?!"

"That is my line." The defense minister retorted. "Leaking details of a top secret plan and details to outsiders is abominable."

"Leaking plans?" Arcadios eyes widened, before his gaze snapped towards Sasuke's sharingan. "I see... So, that's what happened. Some sort of illusion was placed on me back when we met. Isn't that right, Uchiha-san?"

Darton now glared at mention of Sasuke as if he had not noticed him before. If it was possible, the vein on his forehead bulged twice the size, "You brat… you continue to cause us trouble!" He hissed under his breath, not bothered by what others thought about his open display of hostility towards the last Uchiha. After all, he was the one who made a fool out of the crown and the royal guards.

Arcadios' head snapped back to Darton before Sasuke could respond, which to be frank he wasn't going to anyway. "Even if I was under some illusion, you know that they are not outsiders." He stepped forward with a hand held to his chest.

"They play a critical role in the success of the operation. You know this!" He pointed but Darton was having none of this.

"That is not for you to decide arbitrarily." He said in a stern voice.

"Are you sure you aren't opposed to this plan?"

"Of course I am opposed!" The old man snapped. "Changing history! Can you even imagine the inherent dangers, boy?!"

Arcadios did not have anything to say back to that as Darton ordered his soldiers, "Arrest Captain Arcadios on suspicion of treason! And arrest Lucy Heartfelia and Yukino Agria too! Throw everyone else out!"

"HAI!"

"What the heck are they rambling about?" Gray muttered under his breath as he stood with his back facing Sasuke's back. "I don't like where this is going. What do we do, Sasuke?"

Sasuke did not reply as he was busy finding the exit routes. If possible, he did not want to fight these guards or anyone representing the crown for that matter. Even as much as he was beginning to hate that old man, cause the last thing he wanted was a repeat of the five kage summit.

"You jack-asses! You are not getting Lucy involved in this!" Natsu warned with a dangerous tone. He lit both his arms on fire as he took a step forward.

Naruto too stepped forward, as he made a blue ball of energy swiveling around his palm, "I will not allow you to harm my friends!"

Sasuke and Gray face-palmed simultaneously and muttered 'idiots' under their breaths.

The blue ball was just undone in the same way as Natsu's fire fists. His sharingan observed their energy/chakra flowing in a stream of line towards the center of the gate. "Being all flashy is nice and all, but Naruto… weren't you the one who said the energy around here was being pulled towards it?"

"Oi, flame brain! Were you paying any attention at all?!" Gray too scolded. Suddenly, a white aura formed around Natsu and a blue aura formed around Naruto. This aura was then ripped apart from their body and started flowing towards the center of the gate.

"Perhaps, he did not warn you lot about this," Darton shook his head at the perplexed group. "If any kind of attack is activated this close to eclipse, all of that person's power will be siphoned." He explained to the rest as they helplessly watched all of Natsu's magic being sucked out.

"Don't cause anymore fuss." Few soldiers captured Lucy and few more went to move towards the unconscious Natsu, but Naruto stood in their way.

His knees were bent slightly as the light continued to suck out his chakra. Despite this, he managed to stand and grin at them, "Not before you cross me first, baldy!"

"B-baldy?!" Darton blinked at the blonde. "I-Impossbile! Why are you still standing after so much of your energy was taken from you?!"

"Sorry to break it to you," Sasuke immediately took out a dozen guards using the back of his katana freeing Happy, Carla and Lilly. Gray did the same with his kicks and took out a couple of guards freeing Wendy. Gajeel merely knocked the guards for fun. "But, you clearly don't know the extent of this particular monster's chakra."

"Chakra...?"

Naruto lifted Natsu and placed him on his shoulders. He took out a small ball kind of object, "Quick, Sasuke!"

"Hn." Sasuke took out a smoke bomb too. Both pellets were immediately thrown on the floor at the same time, causing it to explode with a loud bang.

Darton was the first one to come out of the smoke. He coughed as few more soldiers came out of the smoke, "T-Tell me you at least got the girl!"

"We do, sir!" The soldiers who had caught Lucy came out. When the smoke cleared, they gaped in shock to find one of their unconscious men in their arms. "No, we don't, sir! She was switched, sir!"

"Thanks for stating the obvious!" Darton shouted. "Quick, find them! They must still be somewhere here in this castle. Find them before they escape!"

"YES, SIR!"

He looked around and found that even the general and his assistant were missing, ' _If they escape, I'll have no choice but to ask_ him _to retrieve the prisoners._ '

* * *

..

"What did they try to do?!" Makarov was livid and his outrage silenced the entire bar. He had every reason to be. Even if it's the kingdom, they had tried to harm his children after all.

Naruto folded his arms behind his head, "Mah, mah, jiji! No harm was done, you know. So, relax. There were just some minor injuries here and there."

"Minor injuries?!" He yelled. "Are you sure you should be even walking right now, Naruto? Natsu was knocked out and your power was sucked for a longer time than Natsu. It's a miracle that you are still standing!"

"Ah, don't worry about it," Naruto said, giving a grin despite the scowl on Makarov's face. "Kurama is taking care of my exhaustion as we speak."

"Kurama?"

"Yup, my partner!" Naruto gave a big smile.

Makarov stared at the boy for a moment before he hung his head in defeat, "I give up. Handling only Natsu was tough. Now, I have two idiots."

"Cheer up, jiji!" Naruto laughed as he patted the old master's back. "I'll just participate in Natsu's stead tomorrow."

"That you will." Erza spoke up calmly, walking towards the group that had ventured the Cave. "Were you the one who found out the cave and led the rest there?"

"No... Why would I want to enter a hideous cave voluntarily when I could have just relaxed in the bar?" Naruto tried to argue, looking a bit nervous at the static expression on Erza's face. She seemed too calm. As if she wasn't bothered by all that happened.

"Yeah, I am curious as well. Why were you there?" She crossed her arms.

"Uh… you see, it's a funny story actually..." Naruto began to chuckle nervously and looked at the rest for some help. To both his anger and disappointment, all of them looked away including his best friend and brother. He was abandoned and left all alone. He still continued rubbing the back of his head before he felt a poster stuck into his pants back pocket.

Erza didn't seem to have noticed it. He looked behind and saw Gajeel giving him a thumbs up. He wanted to cry and hug Gajeel but that will have to wait. He immediately took out the poster and gave it a quick glance before flashing it in front of Erza. "I was promoting this ramen offer across the city. The chef said he would give me extra ramen for doing this."

"You just happened to be near the cave…" She asked after inspecting the poster and he nodded. "They also happened to be there at the same moment you were promoting this special ramen offer…" She asked and he nodded again with a confident grin. "The offer that expired two days ago?" She raised a dangerous yet elegant eyebrow.

"That I did."

Sasuke and the rest wisely moved away from the blonde sensing the dangerous aura emitting of her, though the blonde seemed oblivious and continued laughing.

His laughing soon turned into hellish screams that violated many individuals' ears. The aftermath looked painful to both eyes and ears.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke faced away from the horrendous sight and turned towards their master. He once again gave a cautious glance towards Erza who was now assaulting Gray, before stepping near Makarov.

"What about these two?" Makarov asked, gesturing to the unconscious general and his sergeant, Yukino. "Is there any reason you rescued them?"

"Naruto was the one who suggested." Sasuke said, running his hands through his hair. He then looked at the tied up hostages who were being treated by the old Sakura. His face had a serious expression as his eyes narrowed, "Though, despite what Naruto or anyone says, do not let them go until 7th July, master."

Makarov nodded before scratching his head, "You said these games are held to absorb the participants' magic power, yes?" Makarov sighed, at his wit's end when Sasuke quietly nodded. Honestly, he didn't know what this kid was thinking half of the time.

There must be some reason for him to think of using hostages. "Then, what do you suppose we do?"

"We continue to participate." Sasuke answered without any hesitation. Makarov looked at him surprised as he continued, "Since none of our members were captured, we will be fine as long as we don't allow Lucy or the hostages to fall into their hands."

He stated looking in the distance to see Lucy move towards the soundly asleep Natsu and Happy. She held a small smile as she looked down at him. His gaze softened slightly at the sight, "They can't attack us in the games since they don't want their secret to be spilt to the world." He added.

He then turned back towards Makarov, "I believe there is someone else behind the scenes." The person named Rogue that the princess mentioned. "If we go by their rules for the time being, I believe we can catch them by the end of the games." He suggested, before adding to tempt the uncertain Makarov after a moment, "The prize money, master. *cough*. Thirty million jewels. *cough*." He deliberately coughed and smirked when his master got successfully swayed.

"LISTEN BRATS!" Makarov got onto his stool as the guild stopped doing whatever they were doing. "We are not going to quit the games just because of this! We continue to participate and show them the might of Fairy Tail!"

He glanced at Sasuke who nodded in approval before turning back to the assembled crowd which gathered in front of him. "We will certainly show them who the boss is and win that thirty million *ahem* teach them what it means to mess with us!"

"He just said thirty million, didn't he?" Macao pointed. He turned towards Wakabe, "He just said thirty million, didn't he?"

"For the pride!" Wakabe raised his mug much to Macao's horror. Macao turned towards the rest only for them to raise their mugs too and ignore his comment. Even his own son cheered.

He then turned to the only sensible person in the guild. "Sasuke-san, please ask the master to stop this madness. Natsu is already hurt. I say it is safe to withdraw from the games before we are further harmed."

"I will kick their asses!"

Natsu's voice rang through the bar. Both Sasuke and Macao turned to see the fire dragon slayer get up temporarily to declare before he collapsed again. Macao turned back with a shake of his head and saw Sasuke smirk.

"For the mon-" Sasuke coughed, correcting himself and wiped the smug smirk of his face. "For the glory." He raised his hand and gave a pretended nonchalant cheer. He smiled when he saw Macao sigh and retreat to drink muttering under his breath that they were a lost cause.

"What are you smiling about?" A scowl marred Erza's pretty face as she approached him. He looked over her shoulder to see that Naruto, Gray and Gajeel were done for. He was so busy planning out for the next day that he forgot about her for a moment and the reason she was pissed. After all, he was the one who actually led the rest to the cave, and may have been indirectly responsible to what happened to Natsu.

"Uh-uh."

* * *

 **Well, Sasuke and Naruto learn about Zeref and Acnologia, though there are still two days left in the games. Sasuke decided to take few hostages and Natsu is reckoned useless for the day 4 of the games, finally giving Naruto a chance. And, Erza was pissed at Sasuke in the end. That's it for this chapter.**

 **I have decided to edit the earlier chapters, seeing as I found many grammar issues myself and it was too vague according to me and also the flow felt a bit off. Currently, I have edited chapters 1 and 3. If you guys are interested, you can check it out and if still some grammar errors remain, feel free to specify them to me.**

 **Well, I'll upload the next chapter tomorrow, since our favorite avenger's birthday comes up.  
**

 **Until then, later!**


	22. Chapter 22: Wasted

**Here is the promised chapter. And, it is the birthday of our favorite avenger!**

 **As always thanks to GB108, Jutten, LyHy, Devil's Darklight, Lightningblade49, The King in White, black goku, HopefulFan, 1010, hateme101, Mobydicks and cristiphilip372 for your reviews.**

 **FT manga is over and ships are hinted in the end. I thought they would pull out a FT: next generations chapter. Guess, I have been wrong. It was a pretty decent ride for me. It had its ups and downs, but there is no denying that it was an awesome manga. Erza for me was the one that stood out the most in FT. Then, Gray, Laxus and Gajeel. Natsu felt to me like a mix of Naruto and Luffy. Others felt more unique compared to him, but that's a given in a shonen manga.  
**

 **Best char for me: Erza. Then Mystogan, Gray, Laxus, Gajeel... in that order.**

 **Best arc for me: GMG. Then Tower of Heaven, Tartaros Arc, Phantom Lord... in that order.**

 **Best villain for me: Zeref. Not sure if he could also be considered an anti-hero. Then, Mard Geer Tartaros, evil Jellal.  
**

 **Continuing on; Consider this chapter as an aftermath of the previous one.**

* * *

 **...**

 **Chapter 22: Wasted**

He never imagined that Erza could get so mad over a small issue. Sure, she did for the smallest of reasons most of the times, but he never thought he would be on the receiving end. And, technically it wasn't a small issue, but at least no one was hurt. That was what mattered, right? Even if things would have gone sour under there, he could have still gotten them out with his Rinnegan.

That was right. They were just figuring out what was going on and went with the flow to see where it would lead them to. And, it wasn't a failure like he initially thought it would be. They had managed to capture two of their men and learnt of their secret plan or mission which they dubbed as Eclipse Project. They had the main perpetrator with them, and though Natsu was drained of his magic reserves, nothing could keep the fire dragon slayer down for a long time.

He wouldn't be surprised if Natsu decides to wake up tomorrow all of a sudden and decides to participate in the games.

Shaking his head as he stared the ground underneath him, he directed a glare at the blonde groveled in dirt few feet away from him. Why did Naruto have to be so idiotic at times? He lined up his hand against his knee and pushed himself up dusting his pants. Obsidian eyes then gazed at the blonde as he stood after him in a few moments.

"You really couldn't have picked a better excuse, huh dobe?"

Blue eyes glared right back, "Hey, I didn't see you help me back there." He, then walked to his side and lent a hand to the Iron Dragon Slayer, "And, thanks for the assist Gajeel."

"No problem, man." Gajeel grinned before he was smacked on the head by Naruto. "Hey! What the heck was that for?"

"You couldn't have looked at the poster before handing it to me?!"

"Man, Natsu's lucky cause he was knocked out, or he would have been in the same boat as us."

They turned to see the Ice wizard get up from his position and walk up to them. Gray then stuffed his hands in his pockets and spoke, "Trust me guys. I know Erza well. She will cool down eventually and forget that this ever happened by tomorrow."

Naruto crossed his arms, still glaring at the slightly irritated Uchiha, "I am just saying all this could have been avoided if Sasuke could have talked her out of it." Weren't they supposed to be together by now, seeing as it had been many months since Sasuke left Konoha... temporarily, that is.

When Sasuke left through the portal, Naruto was sure that the last Uchiha went through the portal mainly for her but under the pretext of a mission. He did not believe all that crap about alliance and all, and maybe Sasuke wasn't lying about it at the time, but he sure as hell wasn't stating the complete truth either. That did seem like the case when he closely observed Sasuke and his actions during his brief stay.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, not choosing to argue with the blonde as he was partially correct. He didn't invite her because he thought it didn't have anything to with her and blurted the same thing to her when asked. He should have probably rephrased his wording a bit better. That wasn't how you talk to a woman you planned to court.

That only got her more upset. Perhaps, avoiding the bar for now would be better.

"Now what?" Gajeel looked around at the odd group that was formed before settling his gaze on the only blonde in that group, as if demanding him to take responsibility. "For the time being, I think we have to spend our time away from the sun bar. Anyone have any spectacular ideas?"

"There is another famous bar some blocks away from here," Naruto cupped his chin and thought as Sasuke silently gazed at the wooden door of the bar again. "Cana showed it to me and it's awesome. What do you guys say? We could get wasted all night and forget that horrendous act ever happened."

Sasuke was beginning to walk away, "I'll pass."

"Me too," Gray started walking in the opposite direction.

Naruto groaned in irritation. He forgot how annoying Sasuke could be, remembering the time when they were genin. He would never agree to any of his plans and he always had to go the roundabout methods to convince him. "I'll go and get Sasuke, Gajeel. You drag Gray to the bar."

"Sure."

* * *

..

"Sasuke, wait up!"

Sasuke stopped walking and turned towards the blonde with mild irritation, "What, dobe?"

"Let's go the bar," Naruto caught his right arm before Sasuke could react and tried to drag him, "I know you are bitchy about this and want to be left alone. But, trust me. Some shots will help you feel better, teme. Don't worry. Everyone makes mistakes."

The Raven haired teen raised an eyebrow, and planted his feet to prevent Naruto from dragging him, "What mistakes? The only mistake I remember was you making a fool out of us."

"Aw~ don't feel so bad for yourself, Sasuke." Naruto continued pulling him with some more effort, a grin still plastered on his face. "There is nothing wrong with your inability to talk to girls. But, at least you are making an effort. That's worth celebrating."

Sasuke continued resisting, "No, thank you. I have been talking to Erza fine until now."

The last time he went drinking with the blonde, it had turned into a fricking contest which he probably should have backed out from. And in the end, he didn't remember what he did that night, but haphazardly found himself alone, naked in a random hotel's room in the morning. He didn't even know whether he did the deed.

"That and this are different." Naruto grit his teeth, bringing his other hand to catch his rival's right hand. Sasuke was being really stubborn. "Up until now, you had no problem talking to her because she was just your comrade. Now, it's different. You have tread these things carefully. I have been there."

Sasuke blinked and stared incredulously at his rival, his eyes shining slightly with ridicule, " _You_ are going to give me advice on these things?"

"Hey, I don't see a ring on your finger!"

That instantly shot Sasuke and his future arguments down, giving the vocal victory to Naruto. "I'll teach you something today, Sasuke." His eyes glinted dangerously much to Sasuke's dismay as he allowed himself to be dragged. "While you have been travelling the lands and practicing to be a Buddha, I was back in Konoha and -"

"Training, I hope."

Naruto ignored that mock remark and continued gibbering something incoherent according to Sasuke. Once they reached their destination, he struck a striking pose which would have made Guy proud, "I am no longer that oblivious idiot who didn't understand girls and their feelings at all. I have evolved into something greater and something far more than anything you can comprehend."

Sasuke deadpanned and nodded, "I can see."

"Today, my friend," Naruto flung his arm around Sasuke who stayed still, and looked into the distance spreading his other arm as if he was inviting the mad scientist to come and devour the raven beside him. "I'll teach you the art of landing girls. Consider it a good practice for future."

Sasuke nodded absentmindedly, entirely thinking on something else. _I see… The toad sage and one of the legendary sannin, Jiraya… still lives on.  
_

It was at that moment Sasuke realized that what Naruto spoke had nothing to do with what happened in the guild earlier. He merely just wanted to find an excuse to drink and hangout. That was all. That Cana was the one probably responsible marring the once non-alcoholic dobe into a pure alcoholic moron.

He released a sigh of defeat, and steeled himself for the inevitable that was probably going to happen.

* * *

Gray and Gajeel were already present in the bar, seated near a table. Naruto sent Sasuke to occupy a seat, while he went to bring the drinks.

"So you were also dragged, huh, Gray?" Sasuke asked in a resigned manner, eyeing the already half naked Gray across the table. He turned towards Gajeel and nodded as he captured the seat beside him.

Gray turned away scowling as Gajeel laughed and offered an answer in return, "I just informed him of the imminent danger he would be in if he strode off alone."

"I just came here cause I had nothing better to do," Gray muttered under his breath as Gajeel laughed even more.

Probably, he was dragged in a similar fashion, Sasuke wondered. "I guess that this imminent danger has something to do with water?"

"Damn, you are right!" Gajeel grinned more at the expense of the scowling maker wizard as Sasuke simply shook his head at them. Naruto chose that moment to join in as he set many shots on the table,

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing." Sasuke addressed his friend who sat in front of him, his lone orb studying the several shots set on the table. Probably something crazy Naruto had planned. He could only hope it wasn't going to be another drinking game.

"Well, we were just talking about how Gray pissed his pants and cowered back to escape from Juvia." Gajeel answered despite the Uchiha's unwillingness to answer.

Naruto grinned and offered a nod of approval to the Ice wizard, "Gray, you are a lucky bastard! I envy you, man. You are a lot lucky than you can imagine. Let's see, hmm... Yeah, for example you don't even have to worry about getting her wet. You could start right at the start."

Gajeel laughed along with Naruto as Sasuke, whose face went blue with disgust covered his mouth with his hand. He felt like puking just listening to Naruto talk in this fashion. Maybe, the dobe's brain really went down the gutters when Erza bashed him. Clearing his mind after a moment, he motioned towards the shots laid in front of him, "What's with these shots? Surely you aren't expecting us to drink this much."

"It's only half past nine, Sasuke." Naruto stared at him in disapproval. He once again looked at the two empty seats in their table, "It would have been a perfect game if only Natsu and Lucy could have joined." He sighed, his shoulders slumped in disappointment. "You know, as a success for today's adventure," He explained.

"Well, she is taking care of the flame brain at the moment," Gray stated, folding his arms on the table and set his chin against the palm of his right hand. "And, what game are you talking about, Naruto?"

"Something that Cana introduced me to," Naruto answered, busy looking around before he spotted a girl sitting all by herself near the bartender. "Come on, Sasuke. Time to keep my promise to you and show you how it's done." He grinned getting up before any of them could comprehend what he said.

Sasuke frowned as he grabbed Naruto's hand and stopped him. "What are you planning?"

"Meh, just bringing some color to our drinking game," He shrugged casually and pointed the girl to Sasuke.

He recognized her immediately. If he remembered correctly, that girl belonged to the Blue Pegasus guild and her name was… Jenny? She was the girlfriend of this weird model who participated in a round with him. What was his name again? Was Naruto really trying to land her?

Well, the idea did seem interesting and he got curious as to how much Naruto changed these past two years. It was probably worth a shot. So, he let go of his hand and laid back to observe the show.

She seemed to have noticed Naruto when he had approached her. He leaned onto the stand and occupied the seat beside her and started saying something nice seeing as she blushed immediately.

Sasuke was honestly surprised at how well Naruto was holding a conversation with her. He received a nudge to his elbow and turned towards his teammate who was as equally surprised and confused as him.

"What is whiskers trying to do?"

"Trying to convince that girl to join our drinking game." Sasuke said with a passive face while Gajeel and Gray immediately whipped their heads towards the blonde's direction, their eyes peeled out.

It was strange seeing the blonde flirt. Very strange. They always thought Naruto was same as Natsu, so seeing him trying to flirt with a girl was like a mock simulation where Natsu flirted with a girl.

The conversation seemed to go a lot well as they continued to take shots before the girl's cheeks suddenly reddened a lot – which they understood later was due to both anger and embarrassment – and stormed away. A few moments later, a dejected Naruto sat back in his previous spot.

"I wonder what went wrong." Naruto mumbled sadly.

Sasuke and the rest leaned in, curiosity getting the better of them. They couldn't hear what was said between them due to the distance and how noisy the bar was, but Naruto must have said something weird if she got up and left abruptly.

"What happened, Naruto?" Gray asked.

The blonde blinked at Gray as Gajeel too leaned in and asked, "Yeah, what went wrong? She was blushing a lot and I thought you had her."

Naruto blinked at Gajeel as Sasuke merely grunted, but still paid close attention to what Naruto had to say. "I dunno… I started the conversation normally. I introduced myself and asked her about herself."

"What did she say?" Gray asked, paying real close attention. He was still imagining how Natsu would flirt with a girl.

"Her name was Jaune and she liked this guy…"

 _You couldn't even get her name correct…_ Sasuke sighed into his palm. And, why did he still try to hit on a girl even after knowing she already had someone she liked?

"She liked someone?" Gajeel asked with a surprised expression, before nodding to himself after a moment as if something made sense. "Ah... that must be the reason probably why she left immediately."

"Nah, man. I still had it." Naruto placed his hands on the table and sat up. "See, I offered myself to listen to her concerns and worries, cause you know, the first step is to make them feel comfortable towards you. Though she was reluctant at first, I urged her and she began to feel freer and more open towards me. That was a conversation starter."

"About the person she liked. Nice going, Naruto." Sasuke muttered sarcastically.

"Shut up, will ya!" Naruto shot a dark glare at the Uchiha before continuing. "She talked about how reserved he has been to her lately and all. She then started accusing herself saying that there was some fault with her. A disease because he started ignoring her and started paying attention to other girls."

"…!"

Sasuke shook his head indignantly. Why did they have to be so weird? Whatever the case maybe, but jealous girls were the scariest as far as he knew. At least, he was sure he would face no such problems with Erza. But, then again a certain incident happened a couple of days ago.

"Then, being the good person I am, I comforted her saying that there was no fault with her. Not a disease or anything. And, I said that I would offer to solve this problem of hers as I smiled at her."

"That must have been the reason she blushed," Gajeel mused as Naruto nodded with a smile and continued after a moment.

"I said that I felt a twinge aching in my heart after hearing her plight, but I also said that her worries would definitely be noticed by him." Naruto said, as others still tried to figure out where he went wrong. Which Sasuke found to be absurd. Didn't they get that this girl was already into another guy.

"You didn't say anything weird till now. I wonder what must have gone wrong." Gray questioned, thinking a bit too seriously about this issue according to Sasuke. Naruto agreed with Gray before Gajeel again asked him to continue.

"Yeah, right. I said to her that one day he would definitely take notice of her actions and open up to her like before. And then concluded with my killer line asking her when will she open her legs to me?"

"Like that's a killer line!" Sasuke slammed his hand against the table and finally lost his cool in this Naruto's ridiculously absurd tale. "Alright spit out, dobe. How much were you drinking before we arrived here?!"

Others observed Naruto's face closely upon Sasuke's statement and noticed that his cheeks were indeed flushed. Gray immediately jabbed a finger at him, "Why did you have to end it so bad?! Cave men are more eloquent than you!"

"In a battle of love, everyone reverts back to cavemen." Naruto replied in a simple way.

"Then go back to your cave and never come back!"

"Geez, you guys," Naruto placed the shots in a line and looked at his rival. "Let's not forgot about the drinking game. Who needs girls when bros are trying to hang out, right?"

"You were the one who tried to flirt with a girl." They chorused.

Naruto ignored that joint remark and turned towards Sasuke with a challenging look in his eyes, "Since our last battle was a draw, want to settle the score?"

Sasuke met his gaze and smirked, "Hn, thought you would never ask."

"The game is called I have never," Naruto turned to the wizards in the group. "You guys in, right?"

"Uh, sure."

"Yeah."

"Then let's start!" Naruto raised his shot which was joined by Gajeel. Sasuke and Gray decided to be less vocal about this, but still looked forward to the drinking fest.

* * *

..

Erza was slightly frustrated as she stood in the lobby of her inn. She tapped her finger impatiently against her crossed arms. All she could do for now was to wait patiently for her teammates, who disappeared right after the _little_ incident that went down in the bar.

It was all Sasuke and other's fault for venturing away on their own earlier this day. They had not only decided to do something dangerous that could have potentially caused not only Lucy's arrest but also risked their guild's expulsion by going against the kingdom. And, even after she hung her head in front of the princess and the request she put forward for Sasuke's sake…

She even ran it by him when they went to the bakery for kami's sake. She was going to and initially planned to punish the lot more for the reckless adventure they had when they returned.

But, as time went passed by and when she still found no clue to where they disappeared, she grew worried. She was not too harsh on them, was she?

Hearing the clock struck twice, she glanced at it to see that both the minutes and hour hands had passed the twelve. No matter how much they decided to sulk about it, they still had games tomorrow which was their duty.

"They're late." She muttered with a deadpan look.

..

* * *

"How many shots did we have?" The last Uchiha asked, the entire world spinning around in his head. He tossed his hand over his friend's shoulder for support as they continued walking the deserted streets of Crockus.

Gray slightly stumbled, crashing into a trash bin located just near the inn of team A. "I don't know… I was Ko'ed at twenty." He hiccupped, his cheeks completely flushed.

"And, me at thirty." Gajeel said, catching his head in pain and took support from the wall beside him.

"What time is it?" Naruto asked quietly. He wanted to avoid loud noise at all costs due to the massive headache he was having now. And, to think he had the fastest metabolism and he still got drunk enough this bad. Damn, Sasuke can really be competitive when he wanted to be.

"Doesn't matter. All I want is to rest and call it a day," Sasuke groaned weakly from beside. It was true since they have been drinking and drinking… a lot. Nothing good ever came from Naruto and his drinking games. He didn't even remember how many drinks he had. He only remembered the sight of a baffled bartender as he attended to them.

But at least he didn't do anything stupid that he would regret later on… like that time. He mused to himself as Naruto finally stopped dragging him. He blinked, trying to get his vision clear under the lights as he stared at the building in front of him.

"This isn't our inn, Naruto." He slurred, before he hic'ed catching his mouth to prevent himself from hurling his insides. He swallowed the bitter taste of his insides again, slightly disgusted but the wooziness was dominating for now.

"But, it is ours." Gray said, taking a weak step forward and tried to push the door but ended up falling flat on his face.

Gajeel laughed clutching his stomach, "Haha, look at you!" he said, moving next to Gray and tried to do the same and ended up falling on his face just like Gray.

Naruto shook his head, being the slightly better one in this situation. "I suppose Gajeel could take Natsu's bed since he isn't here." He said, pushing the door open. "And I suppose Sasuke could share my bed with me for tonight."

The rest shot him incredulous looks as Sasuke felt like really puking now. He almost did as he shook his head fiercely in refusal. "There's no way in hell I am sharing a bed with you!"

"Would you rather go to your inn in this condition?" Naruto asked sleazily, losing his balance and almost dropped Sasuke. "I am sure your fan club is still lurking around the corners, waiting for an opportunity for you to collapse dead on the road."

Sasuke shuddered at the thought, but still refused Naruto's offer, "Damn it, dobe. We are not small kids to share a single bed."

"~Why not?" He sang. "I shared a bed once with Hinata and she didn't seem to mind. And, so did Sakura-chan. And, Kiba too. Maybe, Ino and Shikamaru were also there..."

"Just how many of them slept in one cot, dobe?" Sasuke asked, as Naruto began looking hazily at his free hand and started counting.

Sasuke groaned and decided with what conscious mind he was left with after the drunken festival they had, that it was pointless to argue with Naruto. If he pressed further, Naruto might leave his bed alone to him and definitely go sleep on Wendy's bed. That damn wanna be pedo. He was so sure of it and couldn't allow it on his conscience or whatever was left of it now.

As the rest followed in, they noticed that the lights in the upstairs, where the beds were situated were already switched off. Probably everyone had already gone to bed considering that it was already so late in the night.

Or, so they thought…

"Where were you guys until now?"

They were busy examining the upstairs that it never really struck them that the lights in the lobby were switched on and that a certain someone had been waiting patiently for them for the past hour. They immediately exchanged glances and nodded to themselves turning around.

"Wait!"

They froze in place and slowly turned to face the scowling red head, who was in her purple pajamas. She crossed her arms and muttered with a dangerous tone, "It's 1:25 am. Nobody would even take you in at this late hour…" She said, before covering her nose. "And, I certainly don't think you guys can run anywhere in your condition. You guys stink."

"We are drunk," Sasuke slurred after a moment, bowing before her. "Please allow me to rest here for the night, miss." He finished with a hiccup and got back up.

"I can see that." Erza deadpanned before turning towards the blonde. "Tell me, Naruto. Were you the one who suggested this?"

Despite feeling lightheaded and drowsiness threatening to take him in at any moment, he still flinched at her question. "Well, we -" He was interrupted by many coughs, so he had to rephrase. "I was the one who suggested to drink to lighten ourselves. I am sorry, Erza."

"We all are for causing you to worry," Sasuke said from beside. Gray exchanged a glance with Gajeel before he too got up and apologized.

Erza sighed. She knew she couldn't fully blame them. She was partly responsible after all. "Well, I suppose I owe you guys an apology myself." She admitted, but blinked when she realized that she had their complete unwavering attention despite their flushed state.

She frowned and turned her head away. She wasn't used to apologizing this way, so she was feeling a bit embarrassed. "I guess I was over reacting a bit because I thought Sasuke didn't trust me enough to take me along with him. I just didn't want my comrades getting hurt when I know that I could have done something to prevent it."

Her brown eyes shifted to the carpet underneath her feet as she fidgeted around a little. "I acted violently and I feel bad about it. I should have just talked it with you guys and instead, I…" She bowed her head. "I am sorry as well."

She lifted her head after a moment, feeling awkward about herself as the hall had gone utterly quiet. They were sending calculative looks at her as she had no freaking clue as to what they were thinking.

After a moment, Sasuke – who looked like he had sobered up – raised his hand and opened his mouth to say something, but only to be interrupted by Naruto hurling his contents onto Sasuke's vest. He didn't even have time to react or dodge seeing that he was standing right beside him.

"Sorry about that, Sasuke." Naruto wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked at the wall beside him with sudden interest, away from the murderous gaze of Sasuke. The rest just stared at the sight vacuously.

Well, at least they replied to her apology… in some way. Though it should have been the other way around.

* * *

Erza punched her reflection in the mirror, causing it to break, "I was stupid to worry about those guys!" They went drinking while she worried for nothing. Well, she was not exactly worrying about them at the start, but still she did eventually.

The thought was what counted. "They went on their own again." First, they took all of team Natsu except her to the cave. Not that she felt left out and would have wanted to go, but all her team had gone.

Her comrades could have been in danger while she was perfectly safe in the bar. Then, they repeated it going off on their own again. It wasn't like she was waiting for them to crawl back into the bar and apologize to her. It wasn't like she had waited in the bar for an extra hour even past the closing time, hoping that she be present there if they were to return to apologize.

And, when she had apologized in return – though it wasn't necessary of her – they could have at least pretended to care. Not puke as if she said something weird or gross.

She retracted her hand and caught a glimpse of Sasuke's vest discarded in a corner. It was still covered in puke and Sasuke had cleaned himself earlier in here. "Honestly, I cannot believe he got this drunk." But, then again, this wasn't his first time going all out in a drinking match.

Each time he went all out, Naruto was somehow involved. "Yeah, I forgot that they were rivals." Honestly, they were rivals in everything. Who knew how many drinks they had?

With a shake of her head, she decided to drop the subject and made her way out of the bathroom. She had already vented her anger in several ways. She could only hope that they wouldn't have a severe hangover on day four.

The lights in the hall room were already switched out, and the others were soundly asleep. It was dark, so she had to feel the bed posts to move carefully until she reached her bed. Naruto and Gray had their own cots, Gajeel had said he would use Salamander's and Sasuke was going to share a bed with Naruto.

It was just like a yaoi manga she once read and she got a nosebleed just thinking about it. Sasuke was sleeping with a bare chest alongside a drunk Naruto. She wiped the blood with her thumb and pulled the covers diving in, definitely not thinking and giggling about it. As soon as she lied down, a lean and muscular hand was draped over her comely figure.

"What's so funny?" A familiar voice whispered in the dark. His breath stirred her hair as she went still for a moment, trying to figure out her molester.

She immediately sat up, pushing the hand off her. She turned her head behind to see the Uchiha lying flat on his stomach, his hair a swirly mess. "W-What are doing?" She hissed under her breath and kept her voice low so that others wouldn't wake up. He probably found her bed empty when she went to the bathroom and occupied it.

"That is not a very romantic thing to say," his hand grabbed her shirt and yanked her back to the bed beside him. She let out a startled gasp but Sasuke paid no mind to it given his drunken state and simply encircled his arms around her slender waist, pulling her closer to him. She put two hands in front of her chest to put some distance, only to realize that he was undeniably without his torso.

Her heartbeat increased dramatically when she felt his firm chest against her palms, a warm liquid running down her nose. She wiped it with one of her hands only to realize that it was… nosebleed. Again!

This was bad. Sasuke was drunk and he didn't know what he was doing. He would probably berate himself for his actions when he would wake up. It was already so late at night that she couldn't cause a fuss either and they needed all the sleep they could get before tomorrow.

"Sasuke?" She whispered, but she knew that he was listening to her even though she wasn't able to see his face. "It won't do any good if others find us in this position. You said so yourself, remember?" She mumbled softly and tried to reason, but she got no response for a while.

After a minute or so, he answered. "Let's just stay this way for some time, Erza." He whispered, burying his nose further into her long red tresses and inhaled the strawberry scent of her, and finally called it a day. He didn't even know what he did in his last moments, cause he was so tired and sleepy and drunk.

Unknown to Sasuke, Erza was blushing madly and tried to restrain herself but failed miserably. Her mind was racing with many thoughts and worries about what she should do, as it wouldn't likely be well received by others when they find them in this particular position the next day.

But, her worries vanished for a moment when she felt his arms around her go lax, and felt his gentle rise and fall of his chest against her hands. _Perhaps he slept_ , she thought and leaned forward after a moment to rest her head against his chest, and felt the monotone beating of his heart against his chest lulling her sleep. Her eyelids began feeling heavy as minutes ticked by.

She still tried to stay awake though, but eventually gave into her exhaustion for staying up so late. Not before moving around a bit to adjust herself. Once she was comfortable in her position, she fell asleep resting her cheek against his chest, with only the breathing of various occupants in the room breaking the silence of the quiet hall.

* * *

 **A/N: We see Sasuke and the rest decide to go overboard with their drinking. And, Erza being the chivalrous one, decides to apologize instead, thinking it was her fault they ran away in the first place. She might try to stay mad at Sasuke, but cannot at the moment. Not even if she conjures a lot of pent up frustration when she is having a blast in her sleep.**

 **I have recently watched Gintama. It was too funny not put a reference of it in this chapter.**

 **(edit: I am thinking of maybe making GMG the final arc. What do you guys say?)**

 **Next chapter focuses on day 4 of the games.**

 **Until then, later!**


	23. Special Chapter: A Trip to Iwagakure

**(AN) Hey guys. It's been a long time since I have gotten back to this fic. Assignments, exams, and again assignments adding to the fact I lost some interest midway due to how I felt the early chapters were and the list goes on. But, for now we are given a break until Christmas.**

 **As always thanks to LyHy, Nutella Man, Axlrose751, Sasha Lakes, maxting2003, Interesteddude, Mobydicks, iskandarrobby47, GB108, StopTeasing, Jutten, Devil's Darklight, LucilliaNovaDreyar, Ninjafairytama, The King in White, xNightShroudx, NerdyMcNerderson, hateme101, balck goku, 1010, obito, anonimi and guest(x5) for your reviews.**

 **So, this chapter is a one-shot and can be considered cannon as well(before going to Orochimaru's hideout). Plot for this was suggested by my friend, who likes reading various doujinshis. So, the idea was taken from there I think(probably), and this could be considered as a tribute to that, well my own version of course.**

 **Consider this as a special chapter for not updating in a long time. Enough of me babbling. Since I have not written anything in a while, chapter maybe rusty but still hope you enjoy it.**

 **…**

* * *

 **...**

 **A Trip to Iwagakure**

"Land of Stone…?" Chocolate eyes turned with curiosity to look at the ebony haired man beside her. "That is a bit unusual. Aren't we supposed to head to this 'Orochimaru's hideout first? Do we have some business that we need to take care of there?"

"Yes. Do you remember the rogue nin that had attacked us while we were near Kirigakure?" The last Uchiha questioned, as he continued to travel alongside the red head, who was donning a white cloak around her, color in contrast with his pitch black cloak.

"The shinobi that worked under the guy who stole the scroll, right?" Erza asked as Sasuke nodded. "Yeah, I remember. Are you trying to say they are somehow related to Oyashiro En?"

"It might be the case." Sasuke answered, his lone obsidian eye moving from his front to the red head's face for a moment as they continued to walk. "I suspect that the thief and he had some kind of relationship. Of course, it is only my guess as of now."

"If that were the case, shouldn't we make haste towards the sannin's hideout first then?" Erza pointed. "What is there in Land of Stone?"

"It is true, but since we are anyway near Iwagakure, we might as well go ahead and report _that_ incident. Remember the shinobi who were caught in the poisonous deadly trap that was set by few rogue nin?" Sasuke said. He continued when Erza didn't seem to catch on in a slightly annoyed tone, "Your devotees… The ones that were so infatuated with you."

Erza immediately remembered what incident he was talking about. "Oh, them, right?" She laughed aloud as Sasuke put on a deadpanned expression. "Of course I remember! I still remember their faces, how scared they were of you when you were glaring at them since they thanked only me."

"Yeah, them." Sasuke said with a slight hint of exasperation in his tone at the topic being brought up. "Hn, and for the record, I did not glare at them."

Erza giggled into the palms of her hand in return. "Yeah, whatever you say."

The incident that Sasuke was talking about… It had been around a week since the last Uchiha and his 'wife' had started travelling together ever since they reached an agreement. They were still searching for the ninja who had stolen the scroll from the Orochimaru's hideout and one who had dropped of Erza in this world.

They managed to track his movements at first to some extent upon enquiring in various places and also due to the tracking skills that Sasuke possessed. They were in pursuit of him as they got few leads that pointed them in the direction of the land of mist.

On the way there, near a remote region, they came across an incident in which few Iwagakure ninjas were caught in a trap laid by few Rogue ninjas, shinobi who had deserted from the same village. It was a deadly trap, used to knock your enemies in mere minutes by using faintest of the paralysis poison that was nearly untraceable and undetectable, and a seal that activates another type of poison that finished the task.

So, upon coming across the Iwagakure nin who were already caught in the trap and close to the death door, both Erza and Sasuke had moved immediately to rescue them, albeit Sasuke was a bit slow at first to take the approach on rescuing them.

It was Erza's sudden outburst, her scarlet hair fluttering in the wind out of the corner of his vision, as she jumped into the poisonous fumes made him move as well, something that only his sworn brother, Naruto would do in these kind of situations. Though they did manage to take care of the traps and there were no casualties among the Iwagakure nin, the men oddly for some reason thanked only Erza. That too a lot before the effects of the gas started taking effect.

None of them dared to approach him though. Maybe it was because of his reputation, or the fact that he had glared at them.

Though things were relatively peaceful now, few people begged to disagree.

There were many incidents, where in some places it was even rumored that rogue ninja were banding together and were plotting something that threatened to destroy the peace and stability of this world. The Dark thunder was more of a recent example, the group which Sasuke had encountered before he met Erza.

Compared to that, this was a small scale incident. So, Sasuke had thought it was more out of a personal grudge that the rogue nin attacked their fellow Iwagakure nin as a sign of refusal for signing the peace treaty. But, after the encounter with more rogue ninja that had attacked, knowing full well that Erza was under his protection, he began to doubt and tried to link the previous incident and this incident.

"So, anyway, there is a small chance that the trap that was set for Iwagakure nin was in fact for us, and the Stone ninjas were just caught up in the cross fire." Sasuke said, looking straight ahead as he spotted few buildings made of stone in distance. "That's what I thought, so I hid about it since there is an even bigger threat at the moment. But, seeing as we are anyway near the Iwagakure, I thought of reporting to the Tsuchikage just in case before we continue with our mission."

"So that's why…" Erza said, her lips quirking up a bit which Sasuke took note of.

"What are you smiling for?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hm?" Erza looked back at him with a smile on her face. "~Hm, you see, I was just thinking that you may not be such a bad person after all."

Erza had been fascinated when the nin that they rescued told her that she looked pretty and she had to smile more often, if not for herself, at least for them. Even they too must have noticed how hollow she felt ever since she woke up in this world. At least that was what she guessed.

But, it was at least worth testing since they confidently stated no man could stay aloof around her when she smiled like she was doing now. They only probably said that because of the expression Sasuke wore on his face that day.

"…" Sasuke's blank façade did falter a bit when he turned to look at her. But, she could not grasp his reaction since he turned his head away just as quickly.

"What the heck are you implying?" Sasuke said, covering his mouth with his hand, "And, I see that you have started to become overly expressive, which is quite annoying."

"Maybe." She still continued to smile, as she clasped her hands behind her back and continued to walk beside him.

* * *

"Hey! It's already way past the time we were supposed to change shifts," an Iwagakure guard shouted as he saw his colleague run towards the gate.

"Well, that's true, but I have a favor to ask…"

"What?"

The man who had come late brought his hands to together, "Please, just cover for me today, will you?"

"Ha…?" The previous guard quizzically tilted his head. "Why? Did something happen?"

"The girl that I had been stalki- liking said she wanted to meet me." He bowed his head. "So, just for today, could you cover? Please!?"

"No!" The guard said sternly. "It is not something that we skip our duties over for."

"Don't say such things, Mori-kun!" The other guy placed his arm over the guard's shoulder. "Please, I know you would do the same if the angel that god sent to rescue us, called to meet with you."

The guard did blush, and stuttered. "D-Don't make fun of me?!" He yelled as the other guy laughed and ran out of sight muttering a 'thanks'.

 _But_ , the guy named Mori clenched his hand. "I probably would do the same thing if I were to meet her again."

He recalled that incident, where everything had turned black and white, the paralysis taking full toll on him, as the second poison gas was being released.

He thought he and his comrades were done for. When all hope seemed lost, a beautiful angel with bright scarlet hair that shined despite the dark ambience seemed to descend near him, as she took hold of his hand and carried him out of that gas all on her own. She sure seemed to hold a lot of strength despite the delicate appearance of her.

She was also effected by the same gas, he could see it, but her eyes had held a much firmer determination than his that refused to give up, neither her life, nor his if she could help it. Even as he could see how exhausted and beat she seemed. The only regret he had was that he was the only one who wasn't able to thank her as shortly afterwards, she had collapsed, causing her companion – who was busy treating his comrades – to take her away before giving them few pills to negate the poison flow in their blood as a first aid treatment.

He looked up at the sky solemnly. "I wonder what she is doing right now."

"Um, excuse me?" He turned around when he heard a voice behind him. But, when he did, he could not stop the blush from creeping into his face as the very angel who had saved him stood before him.

His heart skipped a beat as she continued, "We are here to meet the leader of this village. Could you allow us enter through the gate?"

"E-Erza-san?"

As he allowed himself to drown in the pleasure of seeing his angel, his gaze moved towards her companion, who looked exactly like the prince of the underworld with his black cloak, dark hair, pale face and the way he held himself and all.

"Ah…!" Erza blinked, remembering the guy. "You were the last one that we rescued back then! How are the others doing? Are they all okay?"

"Yeah… thanks to you…" The smile fell of the guard's face as he uncomfortably met Sasuke's gaze. "And, you as well."

 _Now that I see him clearly, he is… Could it be…?_

"I figured we might meet again seeing as we were here, but never expected it would happen so soon." Erza said with a fond smile.

"M-Me too. I never thought we would meet again…" He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I-I w-wanted to…" He paused, glancing in the last Uchiha's direction once again.

Sasuke could see that the guard was hesitating with him being there. He closed his eyes and took a step into the village, "Erza, you should rest here. I'll go and see the Tsuchikage alone. It won't take too long."

"Eh?" Erza was confused, as she saw Sasuke start walking towards the village alone before halting for a moment, and turned back.

"…And, besides he looks like he wants to say something."

"No! I…!" Sasuke did not wait, as he did not pay any heed to the guard's indignant sputtering and walked away.

"…There he goes again." Erza sighed, resting her head into the palm of her hand. She did not understand what went through his head most of the times, and it wasn't like she was telling him everything either. She turned towards the guard, and gave a gentle smile as she sat on a small boulder, "Well, don't worry about it. He said it was fine."

The guard named Mori paused for a second, before hesitantly taking a seat nearby where she sat.

"I w-wanted to thank you, for saving my life." The guard said.

"You already thanked us, right?" Erza asked tilting her head.

"No, I wasn't able to at the time due to my condition." The guard said, looking down. "I am happy that you are safe. For a moment, I thought I may never get the chance to thank you since you had collapsed shortly after."

"Well, there were many of you back then, so I had to risk it." Erza said, resting her hands gently on her legs.

"By the way, that guy with you…" the guard named Mori paused for a second, looking back at her. "Could it be that he is the Uchiha clan's last survivor?"

"Hm… yes." Her eyes slowly moved towards her feet as she replied.

"I heard that he left Konoha many years ago and joined Akatsuki during the war."

"…" Erza stayed silent, knowing what he was talking about. Even if Sasuke wasn't willing to tell her about his crimes, it was still the talk of the town in whichever town he set foot. And, he had even explained everything regarding his clan already.

"After getting back up, I heard some rumors when I inquired about you." The guard said, clenching his fists a bit. "They said that you were already married off to some guy and now seeing him with you makes me believe it. I know someone as kind as you wouldn't choose a bad person, so I was sure he was wonderful, but…"

"But, what?" Erza hesitantly asked, remembering the events in Kirigakure where the crowd began saying things about the Uchiha clan. She feared it was the same in this case as well.

* * *

"He is not here?"

"Yeah, the old man is in another country right now." A woman with short black hair stood before him. She wore the standard gear for the Iwagakure nin. "I guess he won't be back for a while."

"I see." Sasuke nodded.

"By the way, it seems that you have saved few of our shinobi recently," Tsuchikage's granddaughter, Kurotsuchi said, placing her right hand on her hip. "They were intimidated by you, so they asked me to thank you on their behalf."

Sasuke did not respond verbally, but just showed some gratitude on his face, causing Kurotsuchi to raise her eyebrow in surprise.

"Hm, it seems you changed a lot from the trouble brat as grandpa likes to call you." She said, crossing her arms.

"Regarding that… I am still hesitating to move when others are in trouble." Sasuke admitted truthfully, though his face was devoid of expression. "It was because of my companion's quick responsiveness that I was able to move."

"~Hoh, a companion?" Kurotsuchi had a suggestive grin. "Is it by any chance your _wife_?"

Sasuke ignored her question, and turned around to leave instead, knowing full well how she came to know about it.

Kurotsuchi was confused by his actions for a bit, before she realized her question hit the mark.

"That reaction says it all!" Kurotsuchi laughed, rushing to stand in front of him. "Geez, what a surprise! I thought it was only rumors that Uchiha Sasuke had taken a wife, but I didn't think it was true!"

She leaned in further to get a good look at his face. "Man, you are smooth despite how you act!" She said, before a mischievous grin formed on her face. "So, did you do it?"

"It doesn't matter, right?"

"Who am I kidding? Of course you did it!" She cackled again. "You are travelling with your wife _alone_ after all. Surprisingly, you are the obvious type."

"…"

"Well, isn't that nice. You get to be with someone you treasure, and I am sure she treasures you as well since she married you, as looks were the only thing that was going for you few years back."

Sasuke just continued listening, since the conversation was way past the point of denial. Although, his mind was now briefly wondering about that possibility. The possibility of having a family of his own after he found out the answers he was searching for.

And, the revival of his clan.

"You are not alone anymore. You shouldn't forget the past and all the people who were caught in the barrage also won't forget." Kurotsuchi continued in a much softer tone. "You must have something that you must carry with you for the rest of your life. But, now you have wife who will take care of combining that together, right?"

"…Yeah."

"Your responsibilities increase, but that also means you have grown up." She said, nodding to herself. "You have to go through a lot of things since you decided to stay by her side."

The raven haired teen stayed silent for a moment contemplating what she said before speaking, "…I am curious."

"Huh?" The stone kunoichi tilted her head. "Curious about what?"

"I did not know that you were married." Sasuke said, as Kurotsuchi's lips immediately thinned which the last Uchiha noticed. "Or, why else would you be lecturing a married guy about his responsibilities. Am I right?"

"I-It doesn't matter right!" An embarrassed Tsuchikage's granddaughter replied.

He did not reply anything for a while as he gave her a deadpanned expression. He sighed, deciding it was pointless and that it was almost time for him to be heading back after a moment. "I'll be leaving now. This scroll contains the report of what happened back then. Since, he is not here, can I trust you with this?"

"O-Of course!" Kurotsuchi said, taking a black scroll from Sasuke's hand. "Good luck to you on your current mission."

Sasuke bid farewell and started walking back.

 _But, at least I have someone left in this world. In Konoha…But, she…_ Sasuke remembered how he chose to ignore the soft sobbing that he heard the first few nights he travelled with her. How he decided that it had nothing to do with him.

 _And, yet she still tries to live every day to the fullest possible. Always smiles, but doesn't want to show her tears in front of anyone_. He clenched and unclenched his fists. "I will try to send her back as soon as possible. I don't want to burden her with walking on the limited path that is left for me."

 _Besides that, I am sure her family must be desperately trying to rescue her from the other dimension._

He hadn't realized that he had almost reached the gate, until he heard the guard's voice.

"Just as I thought, he is the coolest person I have ever seen!"

"Huh?" Erza was pleasantly surprised by what the guard was telling.

"I know you said you haven't met him until recently, so you might not know this." The guard smiled. "Well…! What I am saying right now is based only on rumors but, he was the one with the ocular jutsu; who together with Konoha's Naruto-kun released us from Madara's infinite Tsukuyomi."

"He fought Madara…?" Erza asked, since Sasuke never mentioned anything about him fighting the main progenitor of the forth great ninja war.

"Yes. Madara was the ultimate boss. He was a true monster and a beast, and it is said that he even wiped around ten thousand soldiers all by himself in an hour," the Guard said, perhaps too excited for his own good. "Even the five kages fell before him, but Naruto-kun and Sasuke-san fought him and released the genjutsu. It is as I thought! The one you married is definitely a hero who saved the world, and that fact won't change."

He turned to her with a smile, "The first time I met him during that incident, I knew right away. I actually have great observation skills. You should have seen how worried he was when you collapsed all of a sudden."

"…" Chocolate eyes fluttered with discomfit as she looked back into her lap.

"What's wrong?"

She felt bad now about not trying to clear up the misunderstanding before. It was wrong for others to be associating her with Sasuke like this. It wasn't that she hated at being referred as such, but after berating Sasuke in Kirigakure to not refer her as such, she felt guilty. "To tell you the truth… I am not-"

"Oh, that's right! I originally wanted to thank you, and yet I kept on babbling about stuff! Sorry!" The guard realized how Erza fell silent, as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "But, I am glad that a kind girl such as you… I am sincerely happy that it was him."

Erza couldn't say now that it was all a lie, her being his spouse, rather didn't want to say now. So, she found herself saying, "Thank you."

It was at that moment Sasuke chose to let others know about his presence as he walked over to them.

Seeing him, both of them stood all of a sudden. "Sasuke, you finished your meeting with the leader?"

"No. He has gone to attend an important meeting outside the village," All the kages were probably gathering in Konoha regarding the moon threat that was likely known only to the top brass as of now. "I just handed a scroll to someone instead."

"Ah… that's right!" The man said bowing his head in shame. "Tsuchikage-sama isn't here in the village. I am sorry."

Sasuke turned around, heading for the exit not waiting for the red head. "We are leaving."

"Okay." Erza began to move, before the guard's voice stopped them both.

"Um… thank you for taking time to talk with me!" The guard looked away shyly.

"Same here. It is nice to talk to someone who would respond and reply for a change when spoken to." Erza said. "By the way, I didn't get your name. Can you tell me what it is?"

"…It's okay." Mori said, surprising Sasuke, who understood what the guard was feeling towards Erza. "In exchange, I'll be happy knowing that you remember that someone like me is there in this village."

"I won't." Erza gave a bright smile that reminded Sasuke of the things he was thinking before again. Regarding the sobbing, his talk with Kurotsuchi. "Please do approach if we were to meet again, someday."

They bid farewell to the guard, and made it few meters outside before Sasuke started speaking to her.

"It seems that guy likes you." He said, a smirk appearing on his lips.

"Eh! You were spying on us?!" Erza said, flustered as her fingers twitched dangerously. A sword began manifesting in her hand as she turned towards Sasuke, waiting for an answer patiently.

"Relax. I wasn't." Sasuke said, closing his eyes, completely ignoring the fact that she had drawn a weapon. "It was just a coincidence since I returned first."

Erza did lower her sword, but did not stop glaring at him. "And, for your information, he was just thanking me. He doesn't like me that way."

"He was rather obvious. How did you not notice?"

"B-But but… he said that he thought I was your… wife." She lowered her voice right at the end, looking away as if it was a taboo to be saying all this to him.

"Trust me, very few people are pure in this world. Not everyone is a saint, and not everyone has pure thoughts going through their mind." Sasuke said, peeking an eye open to look at her.

"But, still he seems like a nice person." Erza said, looking at her feet as they walked before she smiled a little. "…You know, it isn't as bad as it was before." She said quietly, knowing well that Sasuke knew about the tears she shed during the first couple of nights. "Even with people all around me, I felt alone. But, now… that isn't the case anymore. Perhaps I should have given some sort of response to him then."

"Then you should perhaps meet him again after we find the scroll." Sasuke spoke, looking to his front, snubbing how his voice sounded just now.

"~Aw, don't feel bad, Sasuke- _kun_. Believe me! I am happy to be with you." Erza said, her sword converting back into small mana prisms, dispersing into the thin air as a teasing smile fell on her lips. "But, it isn't like I have gone on a date with you either, so…"

This kind of future shouldn't have existed in the first place for him. It wasn't like she knew what crimes he did in specific, but if it's at least for even a while longer, he would like to maintain that illusion and this false pretense that was between them.

 _\- It just means more responsibilities, if you want to stand up beside the one that you want to. Go through the things that are necessary if you have decided…_

Kurotsuchi's words rang in his mind.

"Hmph." Sasuke smirked. _I haven't decided anything yet, but I do know what I want to do at the moment._

"What's wrong all of a sudden?" Erza moved few steps to her right. "You are creeping me with that sudden smile. Or, smirk? Are you smirking right now?!"

"You said we haven't gone on a date, didn't you?" Sasuke said, holding out his hand, signaling her to come closer. "It's true that we have to make haste to go to Orochimaru's hideout…" As soon as she was near, he poked her forehead, causing her to stumble backwards. "But, protecting you is also my responsibility. We made a deal, didn't we?"

"…huh? What do you mean?"

"You'll know when the time comes." Sasuke started walking forward. "Let's go."

"Wait!" Erza called out, causing Sasuke to stop. He simply turned around, and held out his hand once again, this time a smile gracing his face which was Erza's first time seeing Sasuke smile.

"It's special today." He might have lost all means for his happiness, but that didn't mean he had to ignore and neglect others. He may not be able to make her happy but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try, until she returns back to her home world, never let her feel alone while empathizing in what he felt for the past twelve years. "Let us make this a date then."

The reply he was got was a blushing Erza, who smiled after a moment and took hold of his right hand.

The smile he held might have been fake, but the unfamiliar feeling that was bubbling in his stomach sure seemed genuine.

* * *

 **(AN) So yeah. This chapter should have been added somewhere in the middle as it makes more sense since I kind of skipped this part.  
**

 **I am already working on the next chapter, where we will pick it where we left off.**

 **Iwagakure - village hidden in stones.**

 **Kirigakure - village hidden in mist.**

 **Power levels?** That is always up to debate. Many have their own opinions, and I am trying to write how I felt when I watched these two anime. Of course, I am also using vsbattles wikia as a reference. And, when I had written the Irene and August part (1 year ago I think, which is kind of long now that I think about it), nothing was revealed regarding them, except their entrance. I had used Fiary wiki as a reference at that time.

 **Get to the point already?** Well, I understand your impatience, and well frankly, I had wanted them together by chapter 10 and end it there. But, my friend suggested that it would be too short and also this fic kind of speaks about how Sasuke is still coping with the after effects of the war and how he has yet to come to terms with himself, you know still searching answers and all that.

 **I think I managed to speak about few things that were brought up in the reviews. In case I am forgetting something, just PM me. Also if you are interested in another Sasuke crossover, you can take a look at Finding oneself that I started. It is a Naruto + Fate/stay night cross over. I also wanted to make a SasukexDXD cross-over, but it looks like it won't happen for a while until at least I get to the closing point of either of my currently running fics.**


	24. Chapter 24: Last Day

**(AN) This fic has been dead for over a year now, and to be frank, I had already written a chapter way back but wasn't able to update due to certain reasons. College got stressful, but it is over now so you can expect me to write again. I had completely changed the chapter and wrote it again, and I am going to try and finish this fic for personal landmark. This and one of my other fics has my attention for now.**

 **It's understandable if the fic has lost its appeal, but thanks anyway for reading it up until here. If you don't like the fic or a few characters in general, I can't do much about it.**

 **Thanks to erasenpai946, anonymous, meowhaha, grayshield666, edd17, Fan, Cuando Cap, axl, Angel Winx, tsun,** **Papu de papus** **, Hope1616, Drew86419, Hashirama 1710, Dareth, Saisri, Jutten and Guest(x7) for the reviews as always.**

 **I apologize in advance for any typos or mistakes. I am quite rusty at the moment, and wasn't that satisfied with it, but here it is.**

 **Continuing** **on;**

* * *

 **...**

 **Chapter 23: Final Day**

"Ugh… never going to drink with that idiot again."

The last Uchiha groaned, as he took slow steps in the direction of his inn. Yesterday's night was a disaster and it is generally said that you learn from your past mistakes, but apparently he did not. Not even after waking up naked the first time he went hallelujah with Naruto. He was pretty sure something had happened then, for he was utterly exhausted and his body felt sore when he woke up.

But, at least this time it was different.

Somewhat. He groaned into his right palm again. He had been greeted with the sight of a peaceful Erza snuggled to his bare chest the previous night. At least he was grateful he had managed to keep his pants on him. But, it still made him wonder though on what actually went down last night.

He remembered fragments here and there, like he had rolled his eyes a lot of times at his best friend, which he unsurprisingly does usually even he's sober. He had wanted to facepalm multiple times at his idiotic teammates, which again wasn't that different from any normal day. After that, it was a blank, no matter how hard he tried to remember.

Well whatever the case was that led to his strange gratifying cuddle, he was definitely not a morning person if even thinking about yesterday was giving him migraines. Probably best if he forgot about it for now.

The chilly morning wind hit his face, as he casually leaned against a ledge, his onyx eyes focused to his front to get a better view of the sun rise. For a minute, or two, he just stared silently at the new buds of sunrays emerging from the fog of clouds, as he was completely occupied with his thoughts.

Today was going to mark the fourth day, as he began thinking about the real mission of why he was here.

Realizing he actually cared for Erza on a far more deeper level was just something he came to realize after arriving here, and he was sure that they were going to try working it out once the games would end. It was also kind of like letting the guild know this on a happy note after they win the games.

He was pretty sure that they would win, even without him, or Naruto being present to participate in the games. The only reason he was still participating was to fish out his pursuers, though he had accidentally stumbled across another jackpot.

The search for the survivors of the Uchiha clan from this world did bore to be fruitful, though it was purely coincidental that he came across three of his clan members. There was a high chance that those were the last of the adherents from this world, but still four survivors sounded a lot good than the last survivor in his head.

He heard few footsteps and uptight whispers before they went silent.

"Sasuke Uchiha, right?"

He had a pretty bored expression as he studied the good ten fifteen guards that gathered around him. A lean man, slightly dressed in a different uniform compared to the knights came forward and bowed his head a little. He was probably their superior.

"The princess is asking for your presence."

A messenger then.

The former Avenger merely raised an eyebrow, straightening his posture and turned towards the man. The guards stilled, not letting their guard down even in the slightest.

"Asked and not demanded?"

"Yes. The princess understands the gravity of the situation and would like to apologize for her minister's actions the other night."

Sasuke merely stayed quiet for a few moments. It seemed like the princess wasn't as foolish as he pegged her to be after all. They realized they couldn't openly attack Fairy Tail at these later stages of the tournament. Not after the recent spurt in the popularity rankings in the grand magic games.

People would notice if something were to happen to the guild. Besides, they couldn't recklessly attack since they could be exposed to the public easily with even a single wrong move. Plus, there was also the hostage situation involving Arcadios and his sergeant.

Nor were they going for the same trick again.

"And, what if I refuse to go with you?" He asked, looking around at the guards that went tense immediately after hearing his words. He could see them gulp and start to sweat, and panic seemed just a ring away. Well, he couldn't blame them. Any sane person would probably steer careful of him. Better away from him and shouldn't bother being involved with him. Not after witnessing his feats in the arena.

"I am afraid I must insist." The messenger pressed on, trying to sound calm.

The teen returned his attention to the fair skinned man, with scruffy black hair. Well, that was a surprise. The man was clearly frightened of him, judging by the way he was sweating and how he was practically shaking where he stood. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. The same went for the knights.

And, yet he was trying to do his duty.

Sasuke let out a tired sigh. He wasn't as cruel as to do something to these guards just for following their duty. Though, he couldn't vouch the same for Hisui. But, his guild could be in trouble if he did something to her, making them enemies to the entire country and he would become a rogue criminal. Again. Not the ideal start he was looking for in his pseudo home.

"You do realize I am part of Fairy Tail team B."

"It's nothing to worry about. Arrangements are being made as we speak. The games will start later than usual. But, if you are worried, we can allow you some time to contact someone to take your place."

"It's alright. We can go right away in a minute." The teen answered, summoning a hawk in a puff of smoke as the guards went alert. The messenger calmed them down having understood what the teen was doing.

The former avenger took a small piece of paper from his pouch, and wrote;

' _I am afraid I'll be slightly late, Mira. Tell Naruto and Erza not to worry. And, if I am not back by the time today's events start, I need you to inform the master about this.'_

He signed his name at the end, and tied it to the hawk's leg and set it off in their inn direction where team B was staying at.

"Let's go." Sasuke stepped in front of the messenger, before stopping for a moment. He narrowed his eyes, looking at them, "I need to ask something before we head out. Were you people involved when my team was ambushed yesterday?"

"No, none of us are!" The messenger frantically shook his head. "Our princess took appropriate actions on the people involved yesterday."

"Your princess suddenly decided to have a change of heart, huh?" The Uchiha gave an exasperated sigh, before looking back at them. "Well, lead away."

..

* * *

Erza slightly fidgeted in her position, rolling over and placing a hand over her eyes to avoid the stagnant rays early in the morning. She then rolled over again, her hand patting her bed beside her, unconsciously searching for the lost warmth.

"You won't find him anywhere if you search like that."

It took a moment for her drowsy brain to fully register what the voice said. Her senses went to high alert as soon as she remembered what happened exactly last night. She immediately opened her eyes and jolted up to see a blonde idiot seated on a chair a few feet from away her bed and grinning at her like a little kid who just found a candy.

"You should have held onto him closer and tighter if you didn't plan on letting him leave," Naruto continued before laughing once again at the expense of the blush that formed on her cheeks.

Okay, not a kid who found a lost candy. Definitely an adult who just found a new stash to keep himself occupied at night. Definitely a perverted adult.

"So, you saw." She whispered, glaring at the blonde and cautiously eyeing her guild mates who were still sleeping soundly.

"Good morning to you too, Erza," the blonde said.

"Please, don't tell anyone about this Naruto. If they knew-"

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed. Believe it!" Naruto interrupted, reassuring her. He was slightly curious though on why they were hiding it, but he never knew how the bastard's mind worked unless they traded fists with each other.

He watched as she let out a silent sigh of relief and stretched her arms making a yawn. Her words of caution did not match with the idiotic grin and the fresh glow that she held on her face as she threw her sheets aside and began to move towards the bathroom. Maybe, something did happen last night.

"So, you and Sasuke didn't do anything, huh? You know, like the content in the book I lent you?" Naruto voiced his doubt, cackling in amusement immediately as Erza nearly fell because of his question.

After regaining her balance, she immediately turned around glaring and blushing furiously, "Of course not!"

"Could have fooled me with that look on your face." Naruto simply shrugged in response. "I mean, let's see what we have here. A drunken guy, though I admit its Sasuke and we are probably expecting a lot from him. Like seriously. And then, a hot girl that has his fancy and vice versa shared a bed. I mean, even I could see nine out of ten cases something happening here."

"Are you crazy?! Why would we-" Erza stopped herself, dialing her voice down as to not wake her sleeping teammates just so they could join Naruto in his teasing. "Why would we when Wendy is still sleeping right in the next bed? Not to mention, all of you guys were here as well."

"So, you admit something would have happened if you guys were alone." Naruto caught his chin in a thoughtful look. He then grinned, as he ducked a pillow aimed at his head. That pillow could have easily been one of the swords from her pocket dimension. He was lucky that Erza wasn't being her usual self or else he would have been pulverized by now.

An idea struck inside her head, as Erza stopped flailing around and turned to look at the blonde. "Naruto. You know that it is rude to watch someone when they are sleeping. If you don't stop your teasing now, I am afraid that I will have to tell Sasuke that you were watching me while I was asleep. Or, him too for that matter."

The blonde's face immediately paled, as he froze in his position.

"Now, what would Sasuke think of his best friend, not to mention who was freshly wed staring at the sleeping form of his girlfriend?" Erza said, tapping her finger on her chin. "I also wonder how Hinata would feel about you watching as other women slept."

"Please! Anything but that!" The blonde begged as her chocolate eyes looked triumph in return.

' _Who said that I always use violence to shut people down?'_ Erza crossed her arms, before looking over her shoulder at the sight of a defeated blonde, who was shaking in his seat at the implications of her threat. _'Maybe I scared him too much.'_

"Now, Naruto. Be a dear and wake others up, will you? I am having a bath, so by the time I return, could you make sure that everyone is ready for today?"

Only she and Sakura could make even their request seem scary, Naruto noted as he dumbly nodded. Even if they asked of them in their sweet voice. Guess he was really lucky to have wed the timid Hyuga, though he wasn't sure what she would do if she knew what sorts of things he was doing here.

But, one thing became clear to him after having his talk with Erza. The red knight called herself as Sasuke's girlfriend.

"Maybe the bastard isn't destined to live all alone after all." He smiled, as he watched the retreating form of Erza, before turning towards his teammates who were sleeping peacefully and seemed to be dreaming about something nice.

Too bad he was ordered by the demon to wake them up.

..

* * *

The journey wasn't as time consuming as he thought it would be. In fact, Sasuke was surprised that they weren't heading to the castle but, to a local bar. Well, it made sense, he supposed. The Uchiha was not going to attack Hisui in the public area and portray him and his guild as the conspirators. Plus, it was the ideal setting for any sorts of dealings or negotiations.

The messenger bowed and left the place away with the knights in tow, leaving a confused Sasuke staring at the old wooden door of the bar.

 _'Well, isn't this freaking hilarious?'_ His left brow twitched. He drank just yesterday and was already regretting his actions a few minutes back with a severe headache to boot. He had been planning on laying of booze for a while whereas now, fast forward to present, he was setting into a bar the very next day. It was a tavern to be exact though.

Well, whatever he thought.

All the eyes in the room looked up and turned towards the entrance as the wooden double doors creaked open, their suspicious eyes examining the stranger as he walked into the tavern. As he walked across the room, the people in the room continued to stare at him.

The waitress and female servers blushed as they glanced at his face, taken aback by his handsome features, but he paid no attention to them as he found what he was looking for. He found the princess sitting in the corner, just as the messenger had specified. As he walked up to the table, he noticed a hooded man with the same dragon pattern that he had observed a few days back.

He was already cautious anyway, but that put him on an alert. They were the same people that had ordered Wendy's kidnapping which Natsu and he had managed to evade.

He slid into the wooden chair, opposite of the princess, who had a dark blue hood of her own covering her face and very light jewelry and make up on her face. Made it seem like she belonged to a noble family that recently lost its wealth or something.

Casting another glance at the individual who was hooded by the wall, he turned his attention back to the princess.

"I never expected royalty such as yourself to attend a local tavern." He stated in a bored tone, leaning a bit back in the chair once the crowd started buzzing again like usual. "Not when it is almost time for your plan to be implemented."

He was slightly amused when he observed her slightly wince at his words.

"I know you must be thinking all I am doing right now is foolish and all."

"I am not assuming. It is foolish."

The green haired princess glared as her cheeks reddened. Sasuke assumed a nonchalant look in response as she continued glaring for a moment before she slipped into a neutral expression with a small huff.

"I am assuming that's your guard? Makes sense. You do need to have protection after all." He changed the subject, considering the man standing in the corner.

"It is. We never know when my enemies could attack me. Since I am afraid magic has cast its gaze away from me and just learning how to use a sword could be frugal when your enemy could be a wizard."

"Learning how to wield a weapon does have its merits, wizard or not." Sasuke stated. The word wizard still felt a bit foreign while rolling of his tongue. His face went grave again. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Hisui regained the color in her cheeks, as she sat with a serious expression as she got back to why she had Sasuke summoned in the first place. "Uchiha-san. I believe I have something that might interest you," she motioned as the person who had been observing them till now, moved towards the table and slipped an item covered by a brown cloth into the Uchiha's hands.

Before he could question regarding what it was, food arrived at their table. The guard sat down beside Hisui and diagonal to Sasuke and started getting into his food. The princess also took a bite from the plate in front of her, but Sasuke wasn't surprised much. The princess had reputation of mingling with the masses on occasion to learn more about her kingdom. It was good that she was trying to be a good ruler, but she was making enemies out of wrong people.

He slowly removed the cloth, partially peeking into it to see a purple colored scroll tied up with a red lace. His eyes widened, showing surprise on his face. It was because of the damned symbol on the scroll which he recognized instantly.

The symbol that he believed to be associated to the Otsusuki clan.

He had spent two years trying to search for clues regarding it after all. He was taken back, to the time when he was still questioning his purpose in the elemental nations right after the war was over. When he still contained doubts.

He had envisioned a future, where the countries would live without war like how it was here. Where mere children weren't sent out to battle grounds. For the very reason, he set out on his journey of atonement where he met Erza along the way. One could say he got sidetracked in a way with his journey here to the EarthLand. It seemed like he could not ignore the problem anymore.

Otsusuki Kaguya.

According to Black Zetsu, who worked behind the scenes for Kaguya, she had supposedly created white zetsus from the populace she casted the previous infinite Tsukuyomi on. Zetsu had told them that she needed the shinobi turned, to turn them into Kaguya's soldiers.

When the fighting was supposed to have ceased with the moon's illusion, why did she need the soldiers under Infinite Tsukuyomi to fight again?

There was one possibility that those having power liked to brutally dominate others. But, it wasn't a clear answer. To clear away the doubts, he had set of on his journey two years ago and found some clues regarding Kaguya's dimension.

The scroll… he had been trying to find it everywhere in the elemental nations but to no avail. The scroll being here meant… Was this place also-

"Hey!" He was shook of his stupor by the annoying voice which he vaguely recognized. The guard motioned to the food lying in front of the Uchiha. "The food. Are you going to eat it or not? It is going cold."

The Uchiha blinked, before shaking his head. "Feel free."

"Yay! More food for me!" The guard took the plate from him, and began digging into it, paying no heed to his surroundings nor his manners.

Sasuke put the scroll away, looking back at the princess with a stern glare. "Where did you find this?"

The guard scowled, "Hey now! No need to be rude to the princess now."

"Shut up. I wasn't talking to you."

"Why you-"

"It's alright," The green haired female put up her hand at the guard, who scowled away and began digging into the food with frustration but did not stop eating though. Sasuke would have commented something on it, but his mind was far too distracted and only focused on the scroll.

"So?"

"I was hoping you could tell us what it is," Hisui admitted with a defeated expression, as Sasuke found no signs of deception from her. She was honestly clueless regarding the scroll it seemed.

"Where did you find it?"

"I can answer that. But, only on one condition."

"You really think you are in a position to demand?" The Uchiha's hold on the cloth tightened. "You don't know half of what that scroll being here means."

"No, but I was hoping you would listen to a favor of mine in exchange for this information." The princess spoke with clear determination in her eyes. She seemed stubborn. "I realize you can probably wriggle answers out of me, but that is why I have brought a guard who can handle illusions well."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at that and eyed the hooded guy who was still eating without paying any attention to the conversation, and then back at her. He doubted what he could do, but oh well.

"Fine. What is the favor you are asking for?"

"I would like my commander and his sergeant be released back to us. It's because-"

"Alright." The raven closed his eyes, as Hisui's eyes widened a bit. He could bet she was surprised he was accepting her terms without much persuasion. The truth was he wasn't in a mood to hear to her reasons, no not after finding about the scroll in his hand. "The details and everything you found regarding this scroll."

"O-Oh, yeah." Hisui gave a hesitant nod, probably still surprised at how smooth this was going on. She took out a ball of crystal covered partially by a blue cloth and a book, handing them to him. "The book contains all the information we have. And, the crystal will guide you to the place where we found it."

He got up from his seat, gathering them before casting one last glance at the guard and Hisui. "I don't think I have to tell you this. But, do not speak about this scroll anywhere."

"Is it that bad?" She had a concerned expression, but understood from the silence the Uchiha wasn't going to answer her question. "Yes. I understand, Uchiha-san."

"Hn." The avenger nodded at her one last time, and looked at her guard. The hooded guy looked up at him as well, maintaining contact with him. Both didn't say anything for a few moments, before they broke the eye contact and Sasuke went along his way and the hooded guy got back to his food.

Sasuke stepped out of the tavern, letting out a deep sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. What should he do now? Go and find clues regarding Kaguya now that he finally got a lead after so long? Or, continue searching for the clues after he resolved the current situation in the capital?

Kaguya was a huge threat, no doubt but the situation regarding the Uchiha survivors, the dragon king festival, Achnologia- those needed his immediate concern at the moment. There was a chance that his guild and the people of the city could get drawn into whatever that had been brewing in the shadows till now.

The sound of a firework blasting in the sky caught his attention, as he turned towards the biggest construct in the city. He continued staring at the fireworks, and he could hear the distant buzz erupting from the crowd. A small smirk made his way to the lips as he closed his eyes and continued walking in the direction of the arena.

' _Hn, well seems like I already made my mind.'_

..

* * *

(GMG Arena);

"[July 6th, the fourth and the final day of the grand magic games!]" The commentator shouted, crowd even more pumped up than usual, perhaps due to a sudden break from the festive. "[Due to some unfortunate incidents that took place in the city as well as on the previous day of the games, the crown has decided to cut short the tourney by a day. But, don't let this get you, folks! Today's battles are going to dwarf all of the previous days! That much I can promise!]"

The crowd roared as the commentator was pleased with how the crowd reacted. He would have thought that crowd would protest against such a thing, but the promise of bigger things to come seemed to have appeased them.

"[So, it's here, folks! The final day of the wizards' passionate festival!]"

Two of the participants begged to differ, but could not say anything as the cheers drowned them.

"[Like it, or not, only one guild is going to be victorious today!]" The commentator stated, turning towards the camera. "[I am your favorite emcee, Chapati and next to me is former council member, Yajima-san.]"

"Good to be here."

"[Today's special guest is the mascot of the grand magic games, Matou-kun!]"

The pumpkin head waved his hand to the crowd. Chapati turned towards him, "[Are you sure there's no need for you act as a judge today, Matou-kun?]"

"Its fine, Kabo!" He said, turning his head to look at the den from which teams emerged. "Now, the teams are going to take the field, Kabo! Let us have a look at the standings first before calling them out."

Fairy Tail team B – 40 points

Fairy Tail team A – 27 points

Sabertooth – 35 points

Blue Pegasus – 17 points

Quadra Puppies – 14 points

Mermaid Heel – 32 points

Lamia Scale – 33 points

\- Raven Tail – 33 points(disqualified)

Somewhere deep inside a particular den, Fairy Tail team B was waiting patiently for their name to be called out.

"So, this is it, huh?" Gajeel asked, keeping his gaze fixed to the front, a solemn yet serious look on his face.

"I guess so," Mira answered. "Seems like Raven Tail's expulsion really hit the crown hard. I won't be surprised if the magic council's pushing for this tournament to end quickly."

"I would say they'll deserve it if it were to happen." Laxus spoke up from his position against the wall. "Not only did they allow a dark guild to enter into a wizard's tournament, but I also doubt that they were somehow involved in the kidnapping attempt of Wendy."

"I wish I could have taught them a lesson." Gajeel muttered, annoyed by remembering those details. To say exactly, he was more annoyed at himself for ever having worked with that sleazebag of a master of Raven Tail in the first place.

"Anyway, it is all in the past." Mira smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "And, not to mention we are in the first place as of now."

Gajeel blinked at that. "Woah… Really?!"

"Don't tell me you realized that only just now," Mira pouted, placing her hands over her hips causing the two dragon slayers to avert their heads. "And, here I thought you of all people would be most happy, seeing as you rambled on about that idiotic bet since day one."

"Oh, that!" Gajeel exclaimed, a grin forming on his face as he pumped his fists in anticipation. "They say today might be a team battle as it is the final day of the games. Salamander is going to be pissed at having missed an opportunity to fight."

Mira only shook her head at Gajeel's snickering. "Well, master had to forcibly put him down yesterday. But, thanks to that and Lucy taking care of him, he should be able to participate today. Though, unfortunately Lucy missed out."

A roar of crowd was heard, as the trio turned their heads towards the entrance.

"I think they have begun calling the teams out by their ranks." Laxus said, crossing his arms.

"That is all fine, but…" Gajeel stopped himself for a moment staring at Mira and Laxus, before he suddenly yelled furiously, "Where the heck are Juvia and Sasuke?! Why is it taking them so long to quench their thirst!?"

"I'll go and take a look." Mira smiled, taking off immediately before Gajeel could. She ran across few corridors before she caught sight of Sasuke and Juvia standing near a wending machine. Only their backs were visible to her, so she moved towards them, and opened her mouth to call but halted when she noticed a certain blonde standing in front of them, who looked like he was talking something serious.

Curious as to what was going on, she moved forward until she could hear him speak.

"So, the miso ramen I had the other day was nothing compared to the Ichiraku's miso ramen."

"Is it really true, Naruto-sama?"

"Yes, Juvia. I think you should come to Konoha one day and try it for yourself."

"I think Juvia would like that."

"Oh, Naruto. Stop pestering her about ramen. Not everyone is a fan of it."

"You say that Sasuke, but I know you like miso ramen topped with tomato slices all over."

"I wouldn't say I like it. It's at least tolerable that way."

"Oh, shut up teme! You know nothing about ramen!"

"Hey guys…" Juvia smiled nervously, as Naruto went full on Sasuke explaining to him why ramen was treated as the food of gods. To say she was now being ignored was an understatement.

Naruto did stop rambling about ramen though once he sensed a danger to his life as he felt a looming presence behind Sasuke. Sasuke too had noticed and turned back to come face to face with a smiling Mira.

There was something terrifying behind her smile, they unilaterally agreed.

"Are you guys finished yet?"

"I apologize, Mira."

"Juvia is sorry too."

"…H-Hey Mira!" Naruto waved his arm nervously as Sasuke and Juvia walked past her and left him alone with the white haired mage. Mira moved few steps forward as Naruto instinctively closed his eyes, a response that he got so used after being with Sakura for many years.

But, to his surprise, Mira was smiling warmly this time when he opened his eyes due to not having felt any impact on his skull.

"So, the hero who saved the world is really goofy and fun just like our Natsu, I see." Mira said, as Naruto was only confused by her response. She noticed his confusion and giggled, "Erza told about you."

"She did, huh?"

"I would really like to see you in action today, Naruto-kun." Mira said, her smile never dropping off her face.

"I guess then you'll have to find it on the battle field today." Naruto smirked. "But, mind you. I won't be going easy on you guys at all."

"Then you better get going. Your team has already been called and I don't think I have to say what would happen if you keep Erza waiting for too long."

"R-Right!" Naruto bid her a goodbye and immediately took off, as Mira slowly walked back to her team, giggling to herself for some reason.

..

"[The team that has been full of surprises and currently the team that stands first on the table - Fairy Tail Team B!]"

Gajeel walked ahead, leading them as Sasuke and Laxus walked at the complete back of the group. A lot of roars, claps and squealing was heard as they took their guard with the rest of the teams that had already arrived.

Once again, all the teams were reintroduced amidst the roars that nearly shook the entire arena. The cheers were loudest in particular for the Sabertooth guild.

"Looks like it won't be that easy to bring down Sabertooth after all." Gajeel grumbled, looking at the whole Sabertooth team in general.

"They are crowd favorites and the reigning champions in the games after all," Mira tried to sooth Gajeel's frustration. "But, it doesn't change the fact that both our teams have started to become crowd favorites as well. Quite in contrast to the first day, don't you agree?"

"Mira is right. We just have to thrash them even further if we are to become the champions." Laxus said, eyeing a particular bulky mage in the group.

"Juvia thinks so too." Juvia agreed.

"Yeah, but right now Sabertooth isn't our only enemy. There are other teams too, not to mention Fairy Tail A team where Natsu is back, and Naruto in participating in place of Lucy." Gajeel said, thinking on the bet that their master proposed. "I am so looking forward to the day when I have Natsu and the rest respond and do as I say. I am sure a certain someone here is looking forward to it just as me. Isn't that right, Sasuke?"

Not receiving any answer from the stoic Uchiha, Gajeel turned to see him absorbed in something else entirely.

"Um, Sasuke?" Mira tugged him, causing him to blink before turning around to look at his team staring at him weirdly. "Is everything alright?"

"Uh, sorry. I was busy thinking on something else," Sasuke turned to look at them. "What were you talking about?"

"Nothing of relevance." Gajeel said, waving him off.

Sasuke stayed quiet as his group got back to talking again, before turning to look at the new figure that was present with the Sabertooth guild. He still wasn't able to believe what he was seeing. ' _What in the world is going on?'_

Opposite to him, with his heightened and hawk like vision, he was able to spot a particular bastard's sister standing in with Sabertooth team members in their dugout.

He was keenly observing her as his teammate beside him was getting restless.

Gajeel's cracked his knuckles as he turned towards his group. "I don't know about you guys, but for the last few days, all I have been really doing is drinking and resting. I am going to fully enjoy this slug fest."

The rest of the team responded in some way to Gajeel's declaration, except the former Avenger, Mira noted. She noticed that Sasuke's head wasn't really into this.

"Woah! I really can't believe how big this arena is!"

Listening to some really boisterous and loud voice from the middle of arena, they turned towards the ring to see an enthusiastic Naruto looking around alongside Erza, who was talking to Natsu and Gray, who was embarrassed by Naruto's antics.

Gray was probably cursing his luck, or something along the lines from being finally free from Natsu for a day only for Natsu to be back and Naruto adding to the list judging by his reaction.

"I see. So, that's why." Mira smiled looking at Sasuke.

But, unknown to them, that wasn't the reason why he was so distracted. His eyes were locked onto a certain raven haired woman that stood a few feet away from him with Sting and Rufus. He could see she was doing her best to ignore his pointed stare.

"Okay, that's enough of chit chat for now!" The pumpkin head spoke in the mic. "Today is about survival, a game in which everyone participates!"

A huge light encompassed the arena without any warning, and took to the sands around the participants before they vanished with puzzled and perplexed expressions. Huge screens were immediately created for the crowd to see as an artificial place had already been created, where each team was teleported just like the hidden game.

"[Participants can go all out, as this place has been created with magic in a remote location. We also have our medics and response team on standby, so I don't think fatal injuries are an issue today.]"

"Teams are already scattered and assigned an area, I see." Yajima commented, looking at Jura talk to his team on a screen.

"[This is team play at its best. The teams will have to maintain a good balance between offense and defense since this isn't a typical survival game.]" All the teams were shown in their respective assigned positions on the large screen. "[If an opponent loses conscious, or becomes unable to fight, the other side will gain one point. If they are able to destroy the crystal that is at the helm of each location, they gain five points. This is like defend the hill.]"

"That means a team can gain a maximum of 60 points, isn't that right?" Yajima asked.

"Yes. Although, guilds don't know the crystal positions of other guilds other than theirs. The crystal can't be broken that easily, since we have used the hardest and finest materials we could find." Mato gloated.

"I wouldn't say the crystal can't be moved, but good luck carrying around such huge chunk of crystal. Let the games begin!"

* * *

 **A/N: As you can observe, I never intended to follow the cannon for the GMG arc save few events. You can probably already notice many differences, and this battle will be interesting to cover as there are a few restrictions on Sasuke and Naruto that will be revealed in the next chapter. It's not an on spot reason as my previous chapters lead up to the restriction. Also, Naruto will probably be featuring only in this arc and it will be solely Sasuke again for the final one after this.**

 **Regarding my other fic, it's the same story as this. I already had a chapter written up, but I am considering on rewriting it again. You can expect an update for that soon.**

 **ReadxReview.**

 **Until then, later!**


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